Venice Square underwater because the complex system of dams does not activate

Source: LaPresse / Anteo Marinoni

Venice’s St. Mark’s Square was underwater today after a newly installed system of mobile artificial dams failed to activate.

Residents, long accustomed to perennial “acqua alta” or high water events, put on their rubber boots once again to cope with the flooding that reached a height of 1.37 meters above sea level by the afternoon.

The waters drowned St. Mark’s Square, the lowest area of ​​the Renaissance city at about a meter above sea level, and invaded the famous basilica, as many merchants blocked its entrances with wood panels to prevent the entry of the Water.

A massive flood defense system called MOSE meant to protect the Venetian lagoon at high tide was finally installed in October.

Source: LaPresse / Anteo Marinoni

The network of water-filled caissons is designed to rise in 30 minutes to create a barrier capable of withstanding a three-meter rise in water above normal.

But today the system did not go live because the forecast wrongly predicted a rise of only 1.2 meters above sea level.

“To activate MOSE you need a bigger forecast,” Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro told Italy’s Agi news agency.

“We will have to review the rules of the command post.”

Source: LaPresse / Anteo Marinoni

The water reached a peak of 1.87 meters above sea level on November 19, 2019, one of the highest ever recorded. Dozens of churches declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO were damaged.

The MOSE infrastructure project began in 2003 but was plagued by cost overruns, corruption scandals and delays.

The project has cost around 7 billion euros, compared to an original estimate of two billion.