2023-05-17 07:07:31
The severe storm front that has hit the northern Italian Adriatic regions of Emilia Romagna and Marche since Tuesday has claimed three lives. The fatalities are three men. At least four other people are missing, Italian media reported on Wednesday.
A 70-year-old man was found dead by firefighters following a river burst its banks in the village of Ronta di Cesena. His wife is missing. Another pensioner drowned in the town of Forli following water entered the ground floor of his home. His wife might be saved. A man’s body was found on a beach near Cesenatico.
Forli is partially flooded following the Montone river burst its banks. According to Mayor Gian Luca Zattini, at least one person is missing. There were also floods in the cities of Cesena, Faenza, Senigallia, Riccione and Rimini.
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. Significant problems also arose in the city of Bologna. The municipality called on citizens to only take the car in urgent cases. Part of the A14 motorway near the city of Pesaro has been closed.
Over 1,000 people had to be evacuated in the Ravenna and Faenza area as rivers swelled dangerously. Parts of the city of Senigallia were flooded by the Misa River. The emergency room at the local hospital was evacuated.
In Pesaro, the fire brigade had to go out repeatedly because of flooded streets. Many mayors, including those of the cities of Bologna, Faenza, Ravenna and Forlì, decided to keep schools closed on Wednesday as more storms were expected. The rain that ravaged all of Emilia Romagna, from the hills to the coast, paralyzed the Adriatic city of Riccione. Many vehicles were blocked by masses of water in the underpasses.
The rail connections between Forli, Rimini and Ravenna came to a standstill. The railway network operator RFI discontinued several train connections. As a precautionary measure once morest the high waves, the municipalities of Ravenna and Cervia issued a ban on access to the beaches. Floods and landslides occurred in the provinces of Pesaro and Urbino.
Residents in Emilia Romagna have been urged to avoid unnecessary journeys and work from home. Within a few hours, as much precipitation had fallen as usual in months. Wind gusts of 120 kilometers per hour were reported in Trieste, the capital of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. Flooding in Venice is expected.
Tuscany was also hit by severe storms. The ferry connections between the port city of Piombino and Rio Marina on the island of Elba have been interrupted due to the strong winds. Another ten days of unsettled weather are expected, meteorologists said. On Thursday, a Tunisian hurricane will hit the central Adriatic and bring severe storms once more.
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