Italy’s Civil Protection Minister Nello Musumeci said some areas received half of the average annual rainfall in just 36 hours, causing rivers to overflow their banks, flooding farmland.
The Imola Formula 1 Grand Prix has been canceled to ease the burden on emergency services and prevent motor racing fans from congregating in the flooded region.
“We are facing catastrophic events that probably never happened before. An extraordinary amount of rain has fallen on a land that is no longer able to absorb it,” Stefano Bonacchini, President of the Emilia-Romagna region, told reporters.
The coastal city of Ravenna, known for its early Christian heritage, suffered the most. A local police spokesman said about 14,000 people had been evacuated.
Authorities said the flood affected 37 cities and towns and about 120 landslides were recorded. At least one bridge near the city of Bologna collapsed and some roads were washed away by flood waters.
2023-05-18 00:04:13
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