Deaths and Disappearances Mount as Storm Ciarán Ravages Italy
At least six fatalities, multiple missing individuals, and extensive damage reported as Storm Ciarán batters northern and central Italy with heavy rain and strong winds
According to the president of the Tuscany region, six individuals have lost their lives as a result of heavy rain and strong winds caused by Storm Ciarán, which swept through northern and central Italy on Thursday night. The fire brigade has reported that there are additional individuals missing in Tuscany and other parts of the country, including a firefighter who fell into a canal in the Veneto region in northeastern Italy.
Approximately 40,000 individuals in Tuscany experienced a power outage on Friday morning, leading the regional president, Eugenio Giani, to declare a state of emergency. As a result, schools throughout the region have been closed.
According to Giani's social media post, the industrial area of Prato, near Florence, has been severely affected by extensive flooding. This has resulted in textile factories being submerged and roads being completely destroyed. Giani advised residents to remain at home until the roads can be cleared.
A man walks in the mud in Montemurlo, near Prato, after torrential rain hit the area, on November 3, 2023.
The Lotti hospital in Pontedera, near Pisa, experienced flooding and had to be evacuated, as reported by CNN affiliate SKY24. Social media posts also displayed flooded conditions at the metro station.
The civil protection agency of Italy has reported that the Arno river, which flows through Florence and Pisa, experienced a flood on Friday morning. Additional rivers like the Seveso in Milan and the Bisenzio in Prato could potentially flood in the upcoming hours. Accordingly, people are being urged to evacuate nearby areas and move vehicles away from river banks. Furthermore, the civil protection agency has also announced that Lake Como in northern Italy has once again overflowed its banks.
Defense Minister Guido Crosetto has mobilized the armed forces to aid in the search and clearance efforts following severe weather. In response to a request from civil protection, the military is deploying helicopters, land vehicles, water pumps, buses, and even the Comsubin, specialized search vehicles used in submarine rescue operations. Minister Crosetto made this announcement on Friday morning.
The fire department reported a significant number of distress calls regarding fallen trees and flooding during the night on Thursday. Residents were cautioned about an anticipated storm hitting Rome later on Friday and were urged to remain vigilant. The Lazio regional authority stated that there are waves measuring three meters near the coast of Rome and the ferry service to Sardinia has been halted.
Storm Ciarán has devastated parts of western Europe with powerful winds and heavy rainfall since Wednesday night. Yesterday, it resulted in the tragic loss of four lives - two in France and an additional two in Belgium. Moreover, over 1 million people in France were left without electricity. According to French government spokesperson Olivier Véran, as of Friday, there were still more than 500,000 households without power.
Frequent and intense storms are becoming more common in the region during fall and winter due to the human-induced climate crisis. As the Earth's atmosphere warms, it has the capacity to hold an increased amount of water vapor, resulting in more intense rainfall.
"The rainfall from these storms has become more severe as a result of climate change, while the storm surges are higher and therefore cause greater damage due to the increased sea levels," emphasized Friederike Otto, a senior lecturer in climate science at the Grantham Institute, Imperial College London.
CNN reporters Laura Paddison, Pierre Bairin, James Frater, Delal Mawad, and Eve Brennan provided valuable contributions to this report.
