Intense precipitations in Italy and Austria

Strong precipitations in northern Italy have created floods in the areas of Venetia, Friuli, and Bolzano this past Sunday (06.12.20). Firefighters of Venetia have had to address more than 400 emergencies in the region in only a few hours. Luca Zaia, the president of Venetia, invited the population to stay away from the area of Belluro because of the high risk of mudslides and avalanches due to the significant precipitations.

The Po, Italy’s biggest river, has seen its height augmented by two meters in 24 hours following the precipitations. The Panaro river, in the region of Emilia-Romagna, has flooded many neighbouring houses, causing people to be evacuated as water rose to up to 1.5 m in some places. Inhabitants of the touched area have been advised to take refuge in the upper floors of their house. To face this situation, firefighters from Tuscany and Piemonte have had to come as reinforcements.

Some railways and highways near the Austrian border have had to be closed due to the high risk of avalanche, rockfall, and treefall because of the abundant precipitations. In the Dolomites and the department of Alto Adige, where the danger of avalanche is very high, and thousands of homes are left without electricity, firefighters have been faced with more than 500 emergencies in less than 24 hours.

Reference

• Agence France Presse