In the Faenza area, wind gusts of up to 100 km/h and a water bomb with over 50 mm of rain in less than half an hour flooded Forlì and Cesena, transforming the streets into rivers and causing significant damage. One year after the flood, bad weather continues to hit Romagna hard.
Forlì
On Saturday afternoon, several areas of Forlì suffered flooding with 50 mm of rain in a few minutes. Many streets in the historic center, such as Corso Mazzini and Corso Diaz, have turned into rivers. Numerous calls to the Fire Brigade for fallen trees and problems in hospital facilities, such as at Villa Igea and at “Morgagni Pierantoni”. Highway 727 was temporarily closed due to flooding. Mayor Gian Luca Zattini monitored the situation, while the Fire Brigade carried out around a hundred interventions throughout the province.
Cesena
In Cesena, the intense rain, accompanied by a hailstorm that lasted about 5 minutes, caused numerous damages. The ice mainly affected urban areas, damaging crops of green beans, cherries and apricots. Significant flooding affected roads and factories, such as Apofruit and the Pievesestina Fair. There are also strong fears for the landslide areas last year, with small landslides reported but without serious damage.
Damages and Concerns
Alberto Mazzoni of Confagricoltura estimated damages of 80 million euros at the provincial level, underlining the devastating impact of climate change on agriculture. Recent hailstorms have destroyed up to 80% of fruit production in some areas and caused damage to vineyards and wheat fields.
Bad weather continues to put Romagna to the test, with devastating effects on an already fragile territory.
