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In Frankreich werden nach den Regenstürzmen zehn Menschen vermisst, in Italien einer.
© AFP/Hache
Rome – Heavy storms hit northern Italy on Saturday night. The western regions of Liguria and Piedmont were particularly affected. A volunteer firefighter died from a fallen tree during a rescue operation in the alpine region of Valle d’Aosta, Italian media reported.
A missing person was reported in the Piedmont province of Cuneo. It is said that the man was swept away by a river that overflowed. Another missing person was sought in the province of Vercelli. This is a car driver driving his vehicle on a collapsed stretch of road. A person who was sitting in his car was saved.
The Sesia and Dora rivers overflowed in Piedmont and the railway connections between the cities of Vercelli and Novara were paralyzed. Six tourists had to be brought to safety in Vercelli.
River access blocked
After heavy rains, the Borsa River overflowed in the Ligurian port city of La Spezia, causing flooding. At Bargone, near Genoa, the Battana River overflowed. Tons of wood were plucked from the water and dumped into the sea, causing serious problems in the port of Genoa.
The Roya River flooded some streets in the Italian city of Ventimiglia, not far from the French border. Heavy rains also fell around Lake Maggiore.
Heftige Gewitter tobten in Frankreich und Italien.
© AFP/Venance
The bad weather front moved in the direction of Veneto and south. In the town of Belluno in the Dolomites, the mayor prohibited people from approaching the rivers. Access to the Piave River has been closed. Citizens were warned not to go on excursions this weekend.
Venice is facing flooding this weekend for the first time since early fall. The MOSE flood protection system was first installed on Saturday and successfully tested in July. The facility went smoothly, city authorities reported. “The barrier system works and the situation is under control. This is good news for Venice,” said the prefect of the city of the lagoon, Vittorio Zappalorto.
The Venice Hoteliers Association, AVA, complained that tourists have already canceled their stay in the lagoon city for fear of flooding. A year ago, a record tsunami caused millions in damage.
MOSE dam system used for the first time against floods in Venice
In Venice, the new MOSE flood protection system was lifted against floods for the first time on Saturday. The lock barriers at the three openings to the lagoon have been put into operation successfully, Venetian authorities reported. The water traffic in the lagoon stopped as it rained heavily and strong sirocco winds were blowing. The flood reached a level of 125 centimeters.
The newly built system had been tested several times in recent months. It is supposed to prevent serious flooding in the lagoon city. Venice floods repeatedly, especially in the fall and winter months.
In November last year, a record flood caused devastating damage and paralyzed tourism. After that, the politicians had promised that the MOSE would now end very quickly. Bureaucracy, corruption scandals, and different political and economic interests had repeatedly delayed the billion-dollar project in recent years.
Severe flooding on the French Riviera
After severe flooding on the French Côte d’Azur, rescue teams are searching for ten missing people. Among them are two firefighters whose vehicle was swept away by flooding during a deployment Friday night, a fire department spokesman said.
📽️ Video | Strong storms and floods in France
In a town about 50 kilometers north of Nice, two residents who had fled to the roof of their house due to increased flooding were missing: the house collapsed, according to authorities, and both people disappeared in the floods.
Dozens of people were rescued from the floods, according to the fire department. A representative from the Alpes-Maritimes prefecture spoke of an “unprecedented situation”, large areas were affected by floods and several villages were cut off from the outside world.
An der französischen Riviera tobte ein heftiger Sturm.
© AFP/Hache
A bridge collapsed in the village of Saint-Martin-Vesubie. A member of parliament reported that the local gas station was washed away by flooding and that several houses were severely damaged.
The floods were triggered by heavy rains in the region around Nice, which were supposed to continue on Saturday night. Dangerous tidal waves were predicted for Nice. The Var river overflowed. Air traffic to Nice was suspended and all train stations in the region were closed. (WHAT)
