Lake Como overflows due to severe storm in Northern Italy
A powerful storm hits Northern Italy, unleashing torrential rain and fierce winds Milan is partially submerged, while Lake Como overflows, causing widespread flooding Italy's civil protection agency reports the severe weather conditions
An intense storm hit Northern Italy overnight and early Tuesday, leading to torrential rain, strong winds, and subsequent flooding. The central area of Milan experienced rapid floods, while Lake Como overflowed, resulting in breaches along its banks. Flooded waterside bars, which are a popular tourist attraction, required attention as civil protection authorities had to employ water pumping and mobile barriers to alleviate the situation in nearby areas.
The Seveso river, which passes through the towns of Como, Monza e Brianza, and Milan, experienced overflowing, as reported by Italy's civil protection agency. Consequently, certain areas of Milan became impassable, and footage on social media depicted water cascading down staircases into subway stations, as well as pedestrians stumbling or clutching onto poles amidst powerful gusts of wind.
The safety councilor for the city, Marco Granelli, reported that the strong winds caused trees to fall, scaffolding to collapse, and roof tiles to be ripped off. As a precaution, the authorities cut off electricity in various areas of the city while they worked on clearing the downed power lines.
Two women at a flooded intersection in Milan after a violent storm hit the city on October 31, 2023.
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Tuscany, situated in Central Italy, faced the impacts of intense precipitation. The president of the region, Eugenio Giani, revealed that floods, fallen trees, and landslides occurred due to a record-breaking rainfall of 257 millimeters within a span of 24 hours. This amount exceeded the average monthly rainfall for the current season. Fortunately, a tree fell on a moving car, but the driver emerged unscathed.
Science indicates that as the climate crisis progresses, there will be a rise in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events like heavy rain and storms. Italy's susceptibility to climate change is heightened due to its geographical location, which exposes it to increased landslide risk, and its proximity to the warming Mediterranean Sea, which amplifies the likelihood of powerful storms.
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According to Mayor Luigi Brugnaro, Venice narrowly avoided flooding in the northeast. Strong winds from the north in the Adriatic Sea pushed water into the city, along with the already high tides related to the full moon. This resulted in an "exceptional" tide of 154 centimeters (around 61 inches). The highest recorded tide was 194 centimeters in 1966. Brugnaro stated that the MOSE floodgate system, which was active all night and day, prevented "record flooding" and saved 70% of the city's buildings from being submerged. The MOSE system, consisting of 78 floodgates, has been in operation since 2020, protecting the city's lagoon system from the Adriatic Sea.
Rainfall is anticipated nationwide for the remainder of the week. The civil protection agency of Italy has issued a red alert for the entire Veneto region, including Venice, until November 1. Additionally, six regions in the north are now under an orange alert, while 11 regions are placed under a yellow alert within the next 24 hours. This storm arrives amidst a bustling holiday period, with over 8 million Italians anticipated to embark on travels during the week starting from November 1.
Flooding in Italy this year has been exceptionally lethal. In May, around 14 individuals lost their lives due to flooding in the Emilia Romagna area located in northern Italy. Over 20 rivers overflowed, resulting in numerous landslides, the submersion of residences, and extensive destruction to agricultural land. This report includes contributions from Laura Paddison of CNN.
