Central Italy Devastated by Severe Flooding and Storm Ciarán’s Fury
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Widespread Flooding and Tragedy Strike Tuscany as Storm Ciarán Impacts Western Europe
Central Italy, particularly the region of Tuscany, has been hit hard by extreme flooding, resulting in the tragic loss of five lives and leaving several individuals missing. The relentless heavy winds and rain, fueled by Storm Ciarán, have caused widespread devastation, affecting numerous areas.
In Tuscany, the River Bisenzio overflowed, leading to the tragic loss of lives, with cars swept away, and residents forced to seek refuge on rooftops to escape the deluge. The situation escalated to the point where regional governor Eugenio Giani declared a state of emergency, as winds reached speeds of up to 140km/h.
Livorno on the coast, along with the towns of Prato and Montemurlo near Florence, were among the hardest-hit areas. Montemurlo reported a staggering 200mm (7.8 inches) of rainfall since Thursday afternoon, causing the Bisenzio river to burst its banks in multiple locations.
Rescuers encountered challenging conditions, as they found an 85-year-old man lifeless on the ground floor of his flooded home, seemingly unable to reach safety on higher floors.
The governor of Tuscany, in a plea to the public, shared a distressing video of cars being swept away by floodwaters and labeled the rainfall as “unprecedented in the past 100 years.” In Campi Bisenzio, residents took refuge on their rooftops, while around 100 people sought shelter in a shopping center.
Flooding in Milan, Italy 🇮🇹 31 October 2023 #Italy #Milan #floods #StormCiaran #StormCiaránpic.twitter.com/I98QFQmJoy
— Disaster Tracker (@DisasterTrackHQ) October 31, 2023
Amid the chaos, a couple’s car was found overturned in Vinci, near Florence, raising concerns about their whereabouts. Although there were fears of potential flooding along the River Arno in Florence, the situation seemed to improve by mid-morning.
The mayor of Prato, Matteo Biffoni, described the events of the night as a “blow to the stomach,” with floods submerging entire areas and affecting the ground floor of Santo Stefano hospital in the town.
Italy’s west coast faced the onslaught of waves reaching heights of 3.5 meters, while Milan experienced flooding for the second time this week, following the earlier overflow of the River Seveso.
The impact of Storm Ciarán has not been limited to Italy alone. The storm’s powerful winds, reaching 207km/h (129mph), caused more than 12 deaths across Western Europe, affecting countries such as France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, and Portugal. The consequences of the storm also extended into Slovenia and Croatia, where extreme weather conditions prompted authorities to issue red weather alerts and warn of one of the strongest cyclones in the past decade.
Our thoughts and condolences go out to the affected communities and individuals during this challenging time.
