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Northern Italy is facing disaster due to flooding caused by heavy rains. In Venice, the MOSE dam system was activated for the first time which, although it did not work for the quota for which it was designed, protected the city from the lagoon from major floods, given the strong forecast of tides. The water did not enter the Piazza San Marco again.
MOSE is a controversial and long-overdue project, an underwater dam system that should protect Venice from high tides. On Saturday, the system was raised for the first time, as the water level was going to rise 1.3 meters, Euronews reports.
Authorities accelerated work on the MOSE system, a project that has dragged on for many years and has swallowed up a lot of money, in November last year, after Venice faced the worst flooding in 53 years. Also, the high tide phenomenon is likely to be more common in Venice due to climate change.
Barrier system 78 is installed, but some infrastructure work has not yet been completed. In principle, the system will be activated when the water level is forecast to rise by more than 110 centimeters, but as not all works are finished, a threshold of 130 centimeters has now been established. At such a level, the waters would flood half the city in the absence of the barrier system.
The construction of the mobile underwater barrier system has been marked by corruption, generating excessive costs and delays. The mobile dam was originally supposed to cost 1.8 billion euros and was due to be completed in 2011, but the project has already swallowed 5.5 billion euros and is not ready yet, after almost ten years since it had to be completed.
The tide was much lower
To the relief of authorities, the MOSE system was operational on Saturday. “Everything is dry today. We shut off the water,” said the mayor cheerfully. “A lot of bad things have happened here, but now something wonderful has happened,” added the mayor.
The 78 yellow barriers installed at the entrance to the delicate Venetian lagoon began to rise from the sea when the tide began, intensified by rain and strong winds. A 130 cm tide was forecast, well below the devastating tide that occurred in November 2019 at 187 cm. But even at 130 centimeters, the lower areas of the city would be covered by water.
Expecting the worst, municipal teams have installed special bridges in vulnerable areas, including Piazza San Marco, where flooding occurs frequently.
But in the end, the tide was only 70 centimeters and the water did not enter the sensitive areas.
Editor: Luana Pavaluca
