More than 80 percent of Venice's surface was underwater when the tide was at its peak. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte describes the flood as "a blow to the heart of our country," the BBC writes.

The prime minister says the government will now act quickly. Both with money and other resources.

"It hurts to see the city so ruined, its artistic heritage jeopardized, its commercial activities on its knees," Conte writes in a Facebook post after visiting Venice late Wednesday.

Build barriers

Conte also announced after his visit that the government will now accelerate the construction of the structural protection in the lagoon city. He refers to the so-called "Mose project", a hydraulic barrier system that should be able to shut off the lagoon as the sea level rises and during winter storms.

People in Venice may also claim up to € 5,000 for emergency measures, according to Conte. Companies can receive up to EUR 20,000 in compensation.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte will be shown by taxi in Venice during his visit this week.

Flood at political meeting

When the Venice regional council discussed the 2020 budget during a meeting on Tuesday, the venue began to take in water, according to board member Andrea Zanoni, reports CBS News and CNN.

Zanoni writes in a post on Facebook that, ironically, the room was flooded two minutes after the majority league, the parties of the Italian brothers and Forza Italia, voted no to an amendment to counter climate change.

Two dead

Two people have been killed during the floods, according to the BBC and Independent. A man died after receiving a powerful shock when he tried to start a pump in his home. The other person was found dead on the island of Pellestrina.