Evacuations as Tail of Storm Boris Floods Northeast Italy

AFP/APP

Rome: Italian authorities have evacuated around 1,000 residents as the tail end of Storm Boris brought severe flooding to northeastern Italy.

The Emilia-Romagna and Marche regions, which were struck by devastating floods last year, experienced intense rainfall and strong winds on Wednesday, causing some towns to be submerged.

Deputy Transport Minister Galeazzo Bignami reported that two people are missing after seeking refuge on a roof that subsequently collapsed. Schools have been closed, and train services have been suspended due to the storm’s impact.

The affected area had previously endured significant flooding in May 2023, which resulted in 17 fatalities and extensive damage.

Local residents in Faenza expressed frustration, with one stating that their home, recently refurbished, was once again inundated with over 1.5 meters of water.

Regional authorities confirmed that over 1,000 people have been evacuated. Ravenna’s mayor, Michele De Pascale, described the situation as “very similar to what we had last May.” Emilia-Romagna’s acting president, Irene Priolo, emphasized that while last year 45,000 people were evacuated, this year’s damage is not anticipated to be as severe.

Priolo defended the administration’s efforts, highlighting the substantial construction works undertaken since last year’s floods.

Storm Boris has also caused widespread flooding and damage across central and eastern Europe, affecting Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Romania.

Experts attribute the increasing frequency and severity of such extreme weather events to climate change driven by human-induced greenhouse gas emissions.