In the Italian regions of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, substantial rains on Friday resulted in major rivers surpassing alert levels, signaling potential flooding concerns.
In Tuscany, the situation led to the shutdown of schools across several cities, including Florence. Museums, cinemas, and theatres were also closed by local authorities as a precautionary measure to address the situation.
Officials, alongside civil protection teams, raised the alarm over potential flood risks from the Arno River, which flows through the cities of Florence and Pisa. The river was predicted to crest later in the day.
The regional governor, Eugenio Giani, highlighted on social media that the town of Sesto Fiorentino, located a few kilometers from Florence, was most deeply impacted as the Rimaggio stream overflowed, inundating central streets.
Across in Emilia-Romagna, in the north, the situation was similarly dire. Areas such as Forlì, Ravenna, Bologna, and Ferrara experienced intense rainfall, with local rivers in the Apennine regions exceeding flood alert levels.
Anticipating the risk of floods, Bologna’s local government ordered the evacuation of ground-floor residents on Thursday to mitigate the dangers posed by the persistent downpour.
This isn’t the first time Emilia-Romagna has faced such challenges; in the last two years, extreme weather conditions have resulted in devastating floods, claiming lives and severely impacting agricultural businesses within the region.
