Storms in Italy cause billions in damage after severe flooding

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Flooding in Turin: In some areas, the road network has to be completely rebuilt

Photo: IMAGO/Alessandro Di Marco / IMAGO/ZUMA Wire

The heavy rainfall and flooding in the Italian Adriatic region of Emilia-Romagna have dramatic consequences. The damage caused by the storm and landslides amounted to several billion euros, said the vice-president of Emilia-Romagna, Irene Priolo, on Saturday. In some places, the "road network has to be completely rebuilt". Further landslides would make matters worse.

Almost 100 municipalities have been affected by the damage caused by the storms in recent days. "The area is bombed," Priolo said.

Unstable trees and water damage

Other Italian regions are also affected by storms. The Calabria region in the south of the country is struggling with strong winds. In the city of Reggio Calabria, for example, a man was killed by a fallen tree, according to the fire brigade. In Sicily, firefighters said they were deployed to around 100 operations, mostly to secure unstable trees after strong gusts of wind or to repair water damage.

Also in the northern Italian region of Piedmont there is sometimes heavy rainfall. There, the orange alert level was declared. In the capital Turin, for example, pictures show how barriers were erected to restrict access to the Po River for safety reasons.

dpa/lal