Italy suffers heavy damage from historic floods

Monday, May 22, 2023 09:45 (GMT+7)

(ĐCVN) – Emergency services in the Emilia-Romagna region, Italy continued to rescue and evacuate people over the weekend after floods inundated large areas of the locality.

According to statistics from Italian authorities as of May 21, the floods have caused more than 300 landslides and damaged or closed more than 500 roads, with damage amounting to billions of euros. So far, at least 14 people have died due to floods and landslides in the north of the country. Meanwhile, the number of people forced to evacuate has increased to more than 36,600.

Two spells of rain, 15 days apart in May, have brought the Emilia-Romagna region as much rain as it does for the entire year. After two years of drought that left the ground parched and impermeable, the heavy rains have quickly caused flooding, washing away topsoil and destroying orchards, vineyards and fields that were ready for harvest. Thousands of farms remain underwater, and countless livestock have drowned or are at risk of starvation, as the rain continues.

The Italian Confederation of Agriculture estimates the economic damage per hectare at 6,000 euros ($6,500) for crops such as wheat, barley, corn, soybeans, sunflowers, alfalfa and other grain crops. The damage to orchards, vineyards and olive groves is five times higher, at 32,000 euros ($35,000) per hectare.

Historic floods cause heavy loss of life and property in Italy. Video : Euronews

Around 100 towns and cities in the region have been affected by the floods, said Irene Priolo, vice president and director of civil protection for the Emilia-Romagna region, which has suffered far more damage than the devastating earthquake that hit the region in 2012. When the devastating earthquake struck in 2012, the economic damage to Emilia-Romagna was estimated at more than 13 billion euros. But according to Ms Coldiretti, the damage from these two historic floods could be three times higher.

Many locals said they had never experienced such a heavy flood. This is considered the worst flood in Italy in the past 100 years./.

PG (according to Euronews, DW, CBC)

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