There are damage to Matera, Venice under 130 cm of water, an emergency in Calabria and Puglia

• Bad weather: chaos in Rome between flooding, traffic and Metro in fits and starts
• Bad weather. Situation still critical in Campania. Tilt traffic in Florence due to heavy rains
• Bad weather. Liguria, after the rain it is feared by storms and strong winds
• Bad weather: whirlwind in the Metapontino, closed schools in Matera and in many other cities

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12 November 2019Venice under 130 centimeters of water (at sea up to 140 centimeters above the city level). Schools closed in Matera, a whirlwind near Metaponto. Gale, up to 113 kilometers per hour in Calabria and 170 millimeters of rain in 12 hours. Emergency also in Puglia, in particular in Salento. Flooding in the Brindisi area, closed parks and cemeteries. It is the summary of the strong wave of bad weather that is affecting Italy in these hours.

San Marco underwater
The high water this morning, which reached 130 centimeters, which invaded just under 50 percent of the historic center of Venice and much of Piazza San Marco, one of the lowest points in the city, once again did not spare the Basilica of San Marco, invaded in the atrium with 70 centimeters of water. The technicians of the Procuratoria di San Marco fear "damage to stone materials: bricks and to the columns of the historic building. A system of valves and pumps has been put in place that protects the basilica up to 80 cm high waters, but little can be done against 130 cm high waters like today ". The Procuratoria of the Basilica of San Marco in Venice has already set up shifts until late at night to defend the cathedral, as much as possible, from the exceptional high water that is being recorded in these hours.



Basilicata on its knees
The damage count began in Basilicata, after the whirlwind that hit Metapontino last night, the Ionian area of ​​Lucania, in the province of Matera. Schools are closed in many towns in the area, including Matera, where it still rains. The major problems are reported between Policoro, Scanzano Jonico and Montalbano. Over fifty interventions by the Matera Fire Department in the Metapontino area where the damage is enormous. In Matera the interventions of the Municipality workers are underway to restore the places damaged by the floods in the historic center and in the Sassi. In the Sasso Caveoso the paving paving was ripped off by the force of the water that carried debris and mud into Piazza San Pietro Caveoso. Flooding also in the hypogeum rooms that host artistic craft shops and public baths that overlook piazza Vittorio Veneto. The underpasses in via Annibale Maria Di Francia and Villa Longo were invaded in the morning and then freed from the water. In via Marzabotto three large trees have been uprooted by the fury of the wind. Fallen pines also in various other areas of the city. Flooded some areas of the hospital in Matera.

Institutions present
"We have already sent the requested material," Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese told the press conference in Potenza about the bad weather emergency that hit the Matera and the Metapontino at this time. Lamorgese said that the prefecture has made 120 beds available for Policoro where there would be displaced people. The president of the Basilicata Region, Vito Bardi, together with the mayors of Policoro, Enrico Mascia and Scanzano Jonico, Raffaello Ripoli visited the disaster areas after holding an operational meeting with the heads of the Prefecture and the police. Bardi has assured the commitment of the Region in favor of the areas hit by bad weather, stating that "the regional civil protection will remain on alert until this night".



The Aeolian Islands isolated
Isolated Aeolians, a pumice 'river' has invaded a street in Lipari. The sea connections between the port of Termoli and the Tremiti Islands (Foggia) have been interrupted due to bad weather. The "Isola di Capraia" freight and passenger ship today did not make the journey to the Diomedee remaining in the port where the moorings were reinforced. The Harbor Office issued a storm warning, sent to all maritime and port operators, valid until the evening which provides for rough seas and south-east force wind 8.

Weather alert in Campania extended until tomorrow
The Civil Protection of the Campania Region has extended the warning of weather warnings for strong winds, rough seas and thunderstorms until 6pm tomorrow on the whole territory. The weather panel shows a change in the disturbance: the direction of the winds changes. The notice highlights "strong winds from the western quadrants with local reinforcements and possible gusts" and "rough sea, with possible storms along the exposed coasts". The yellow hydrogeological criticality due to localized risk was also extended. Tragedy touched in the station of the Ctp buses of Pozzuoli (Naples), where the strong wind knocked down a tree that is ruined on a stationary bus. A lot of fear for the driver who was taken to the hospital for health checks. On the vehicle there were four passengers waiting for departure, all unharmed.

Sicily, landslides and closed schools
Tragedy touched at Isnello, in the Palermo area, where some collapses were recorded from the church bell tower. Because of the strong wind the cross that was on the summit precipitated. In Messina several trees collapsed in the center. The branches damaged several cars and one person was badly injured. Schools closed today in many Sicilian cities, including the capitals of Catania, Messina, Syracuse and Ragusa. But also big centers like Noto, Pozzallo and Caltagirone. The offices of the University of Catania, including those of Ragusa and Siracusa, and the Scuola Superiore di Catania also closed. Closed cemeteries and sports facilities. Orange alert in Palermo as in Agrigento. The 113 Northern Sicula state road is closed to traffic in both directions, near Gioiosa Marea, in the province of Messina, due to bad weather. For the weather alert possible reductions of the rail service on the internal lines.

Sea storms and flooding in the Catanzaro area
Night of wind and rain, with violent sea storms along the coast, throughout the province of Catanzaro with the weather conditions that continue to cause damage and inconvenience. These are the critical points due to the violent wave of bad weather that led to the decision to decree the red alert. There are many floods reported throughout the Ionian belt, but also in Catanzaro city. During the night, in many centers of the province levels 2 and 3 of rain were exceeded, with particular attention in the Presolana belt.

Storm warning
Particular attention is paid to areas close to the coast, where violent sea storms are reported. The switchboards of the fire brigade, and those of the police forces, were bombarded with requests for intervention. The Municipal Operational Centers of all the Municipalities are open, while the Catanzaro Prefecture is following the evolution of the events.

Puglia, serious damage to agriculture
"Recognize as soon as possible the state of disaster for the agricultural sectors of Puglia hit hard by the bad weather of these hours." Alberto Losacco, a deputy of the PD of Bari, asked for it in a note. "On Puglia, an exceptional atmospheric event is breaking down, with limits to circulation, school closures, airplanes unable to land. As Coldiretti reports, for the agricultural sector the damage is very heavy, including waterfalls, flooded canals that are destroying autumn crops, tents and structures, as well as olive trees literally swept away by gusts of wind, the sector, already severely tried by other similar episodes, needs to be able to quickly estimate the damage and put those initiatives into action aimed at supporting it, starting from the recognition of the state of disaster ".