After Lombardy and Milan were flooded, and the maximum alert for the fury of Lambro and Seveso, the Civil Protection of Veneto has also declared a “red” state of alarm due to hydrogeological and hydraulic criticality over a large part of the regional territory, valid from 12.00 from today to 2.00 pm tomorrow. As regards the hydraulic criticality, the red alert concerns the Alto Brenta-Bacchiglione-Alpone and Basso Brenta-Bacchiglione basins, and the orange pre-alarm concerns the Livenza, Lemene and Tagliamento basins; yellow state of attention on the rest of the basins, except the upper Piave (green). As regards hydrogeological criticality, the state of red alert is in the Po, Fissero-Tartaro-CanalBianco and Basso Adige basins; of the Lower Brenta-Bacchiglione; of the Lower Piave, Sile and the lagoon drainage basin; the orange pre-alarm status in all the rest of the regional basins. The hydrogeological warning for thunderstorms in all the river basins of the Veneto is maximum, with the exception of the upper Piave area of Belluno. Traffic circulation is very difficult, with several sections of road and underpasses flooded. The firefighters have received hundreds of requests for help, and since last night they have already intervened in 250 critical situations.
There has never been so much rain in Milan in the last 170 years. But the bad weather emergency is not over yet: further rainfall is expected in the afternoon
by Lucia Landoni
May 16, 2024
Unexpected flood
“We didn’t expect a flood like this in mid-May. It is an exceptional phenomenon due to its seasonality and its characteristics: intense downpours in a very short time, which do not allow the surface water to clear away quickly. We are in objective difficulty. We are faced with an unusual, unplanned event.” This is how the president of Veneto, Luca Zaia, summarizes the bad weather emergency that has hit various areas of the region, with the opening, for the first time, of all six rolling basins in the region.
Avoid travel
Once the state of emergency has been decreed, work is already underway to restore the damage, especially due to the breaching of numerous embankments. “There is concern about the forecasts – explained Zaia – which now require us to say to be very careful, and I invite citizens to move except for what is strictly necessary and in any case away from the embankments. I say to residents: avoid travel”.
