Italy / Rivers overflow in Emilia-Romagna, there are two victims: Civil protection at work

By Cristiano Antonino On May 3, 2023

Italy, Civil Protection engaged in a maxi water emergency: after the Sillaro torrent the Lamone river is overflowed

River courses, landslides, floods, closed roads, evacuated citizens: in Emilia-Romagna (Italy)the bad weather doesn’t let up, the Civil Protection is at work

The rain that fell for over 24 hours led to various problems and from Monday evening the Region activated the Regional Operations Center 24 hours a day to deal with an event defined as “significant” by Viale Aldo Moro.

And a first victim was also recorded.

It is an elderly man who in Castel Bolognese is overwhelmed by the waters of the Senio river.

The Carabinieri are investigating the circumstances of the death, while teams of the fire brigade are busy with the collapse of a house in Fontanelice, in the Bologna area, following a landslide with the possibility that a person may be involved.

A second person was found dead after the building where she lived was submerged under water.

Four hundred interventions by the Fire Brigade throughout Emilia-Romagna, which report evacuations as a precaution also in Dovadola (FC) due to a landslide and in Monzuno and Castel San Pietro (BO) due to flooding.

Bad weather has also brought disruption to mobility, with closed roads and haywire traffic in the provinces of Bologna, Modena and Ravenna.

LAMONE RIVER FLOODED, 250 DISPLACED PEOPLE

This morning several areas of Romagna woke up flooded by the floods of the rivers that cross it, swollen by the rains of the last few hours.

In the Ravenna area, the Lamone river flooded, causing the evacuation of over 250 people. In particular in the localities of Bagnacavallo, Boncellino and Traversara, where there have been several embankment breaks and consequent flooding; as well as in Villanova di Bagnacavallo, Glorie and Mezzano.

Meanwhile, sandbags have been placed to raise the embankment tops in Mezzano and where necessary.

The population, especially those who live near rivers, are strongly advised to pay the utmost attention, not to go into cellars or other underground places and to prepare themselves, in the event of a worsening of the situation, even for the eventuality of having to leave their dwelling.

CIVIL PROTECTION, EMILIA-ROMAGNA (ITALY) ALERT: FLOODS DEAD AND RIVERS RETURN TOMORROW

New weather alert in Emilia-Romagna from 12 today until midnight tomorrow.

Only tomorrow is the exhaustion of the floods in the mountain sections and the “progressive return” of the hydrometric levels in the valley sections of the watercourses affected by the floods expected.

The red code remains, referring to “the numerous hydraulic problems and damage in progress”, in the central-eastern plain.

Landslides may occur in the central-eastern mountain or hilly areas of Emilia-Romagna, given the “particularly fragile hydrogeological conditions” after the rains of recent days.

The orange code instead concerns the central-eastern mountain and hilly areas, due to the “numerous hydrogeological criticalities” and the various inconveniences.