Venice was due to experience a new and perilous high tide on Friday, three days after being devastated by record floods that led the Italian government to declare a state of emergency for a natural disaster in the City of the Doges.
In the current tide sequence, the "acqua alta" (literally "high water", in Italian) will reach 1.50 meters around 11:20 this Friday, according to the Town Hall Monitoring Center. Heavy showers and wind are also announced throughout the region.
At midday, the mayor of Venice Luigi Brugnaro ordered the closing of the famous St. Mark's Square. "I am obliged to close the Piazza San Marco to save the citizens of Venice any health risk, a disaster," said the mayor.
The Serenissime, which welcomes 36 million tourists a year, 90% of foreigners, experienced Tuesday, November 12th its worst high tide in 53 years. The water flooded 80% of the city, caused the death of a septuagenarian, overturned gondolas and vaporetti (river buses) and resulted in more than 400 firefighters interventions.
It has also invaded the churches, shops, museums and hotels of this world heritage jewel: St. Mark's Basilica or the Fenice Theater, for example, have fallen prey to muddy, salty water from the lagoon.
First cancellations
After a crisis meeting at the prefecture, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte traveled Thursday the canals that made Venice famous around the world, to comfort traders, many to keep closed doors, such as museums and schools. Hotels are starting to regret cancellations for the end of year celebrations.
"The cabinet approved the state of emergency in Venice," Giuseppe Conte wrote in a tweet early in the evening, adding that 20 million euros would be released "for the most urgent interventions". The damage is already at "hundreds of millions of euros" and will still need to be evaluated accurately, but some compensation may be immediate.
A special committee on Venice will also meet on November 26 to "discuss the general management of problems", including a plan for bypassing the historic center for cruise ships and the mega-project Moïse dikes supposed to protect the lagoon.
Launched in 2003 and delayed by poor workmanship and corruption investigations, Moses relies on 78 floating dikes that rise and block the access to the lagoon in case of rising waters of the Adriatic up to three meters in height . Recent tests have identified vibrations and rust but, according to Conte, is "93% ready" and will be "completed in the spring of 2021".