2023-05-18 14:46:00
The agricultural association expects damage of one and a half billion euros in the area between Forlì and Rimini alone. Dozens of communities are completely under water. There are at least nine dead.
After the severe storms in northern Italy, the Adriatic region of Emilia Romagna now has eleven dead and is struggling with chaotic conditions. The death toll rose to 11 on Thursday after a couple were found dead in their flooded home, Italian media reported. The couple’s son, aged 73 and 71, informed the authorities after he could no longer reach his parents by phone. It is believed that the couple returned to the house to save an electrical appliance from the water. The exact cause of death is still under investigation. Death by electric shock is also not excluded, Italian media reported.
The floods have severely damaged agriculture and livestock, an important economic sector in the area. In the area between Forlì and Rimini alone, the fields suffered damage of one and a half billion euros, reported the Coldiretti agricultural association.
Destruction in Romagna and around Bologna
In Romagna and around Bologna, storms and floods have destroyed one of the most important fruit and vegetable growing areas in Italy. The scenario is bleak: thousands of hectares are under water, several hectares of orchards are flooded and stables without electricity, warehouses have been flooded. Whole grain crops were also lost.
5,000 farms have suffered damage, Coldiretti reported. Among other things, vineyards, apple and pear plantations and vegetable fields are affected. There were also problems with the delivery of perishable food, which came to a standstill due to the closure of the A14 motorway. This led to further losses for the agricultural companies.
“/> A collapsed bridge near Bologna. REUTERS
Italian Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida assured that the government would intervene quickly to help communities affected by the storms and the heaviest rainfall in the last 30 years. He promised a government decree and the provision of adequate funds to deal with the damage. The farmers’ associations are calling for the government to intervene immediately with emergency legislation, as in the case of the earthquake that struck the area in 2012.
Dozens of landslides in the Emilia Romagna region
A total of 37 communities are completely under water. 21 rivers have burst their banks and 22 more are about to overflow. According to Emilia Romagna Region President Stefano Bonaccini, 280 landslides were reported in 60 municipalities. 400 roads were damaged. He put the damage in the billions. In Faenza, people climbed onto the roofs of their houses to save themselves from the tidal waves. Some people were taken to safety by helicopters. There were power outages in several parts of the city, and there were also problems with the telephone connections. Evacuations continued there early Thursday morning.
Serious damage in Cervia
In the province of Ravenna, an immediate evacuation order was issued because of the high risk of flooding. Hardly any rain showers were expected, but the Italian civil defense continued to call for great caution. There was also serious damage in the Adriatic seaside resort of Cervia. The Ravenna Municipality, with the support of local police, urged citizens living near rivers to go to the upper floors, Italian media reported. In the small town of Castel Bolognese, which was experiencing problems with the drinking water supply, several citizens were evacuated from their homes. Drinking water was distributed with a tank truck.
According to the region’s vice president, Irene Priolo, “more than 10,000 people” were evacuated. According to the civil protection authority, 50,000 residents of the disaster region were without electricity on Wednesday. Delays occurred in the rail system, which also affected the high-speed trains on the north-south axis Milan-Rome. A 14-kilometer queue formed on the A1 “Autostrada del Sole” motorway on an Apennine stretch not far from Bologna – after a landslide only one lane was passable.
Meloni wants to make millions available
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government wants to give the Emilia Romagna region a helping hand. She called a Council of Ministers meeting for Tuesday (May 23) to ease financial aid for the areas affected by the severe weather emergency. The cabinet wants to make at least ten million euros available for initial measures. Structural measures against landslides and floods will also be discussed. Environment Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin announced that the government would declare a state of emergency for Emilia Romagna. This is intended to release funds more quickly and avoid bureaucratic hurdles.
