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Venice: Third exceptional flood makes week worst on record

  • November 17, 2019

Record flood water levels in Venice hit again on Sunday making this the worst week of flooding in the city in over 50 years.

Venice’s tide office recorded the peak tide of 1.5 meters above sea level just after 1 p.m. local time (12:00 UTC).

The new peak left 70% of the UNESCO World Heritage city submerged on Sunday.

Since records began in 1872, that level has never been reached even twice in one year. There is no other week on record where waters have reached the 1.5 meter mark three times in one week.

Usually, tides of 80-90 centimeters are considered high.

St. Mark’s square — the lowest point in the city and also home of the iconic St. Mark’s Basilica—was submerged again and was closed to tourists.

Museums and stores in hardest-hit areas also remained closed.

Hundreds of volunteers mobilized to help Venice’s inhabitants and to protect iconic buildings in the city, which is world-famous for its canals, historic architecture and art.

Mayor Luigi Brugnaro, who has also been appointed special commissioner to deal with the emergency, pleaded with citizens not to give up hope, saying “Venetians only get on their knees and pray.”

Earlier in the week the city declared a state of emergency and ministers pledged €20 million ($22 million) to address the immediate damage.

Other parts of Italy also experienced severe weather during the weekend, with the river Arno in Pisa threatening to burst it banks.

Why has has Venice flooded?

Experts say that Venice is both sinking into the mud it was built on and is at threat from rising sea levels due to climate change.

The flooding has renewed calls for the Mose flood barrier project for the city.

  • Flooding at the Rialto Bridge in Venice (Reuters/M. Silvestri)

    Venice floods — in pictures

    Grand Canal bursts its banks

    In a city of canals, high water levels cause chaos even far away from the lagoon. Beneath Venice’s iconic Rialto Bridge, the Grand Canal burst its banks and made access difficult. The bridge is one of only four which spans Venice’s largest canal, which is a transport route for many tourists and workers in the city.

  • St Mark's Square in Venice flooded (Getty Images/AFP/M. Bertorello)

    Venice floods — in pictures

    Acqua Alta

    Powerful rainstorms hit northern Italy on November 12. A cyclone threatened the country and an exceptionally high tide reached the city. In Venice, high water levels are normal at this time of year and are traditionally referred to as “Acqua Alta” — high water. Popular tourist destination St Mark’s Square flooded and made access difficult.

  • People walk along a catwalk about the Venice floods (Reuters/M. Silvestri)

    Venice floods — in pictures

    Balancing act

    The last high water on this scale was in 1966, when flood levels reached 194 cm (76 inches). In November, levels in St Mark’s Square reached the second-highest level ever recorded, at 187 cm. People were forced to use precarious “catwalks.”

  • A man sits in a flooded square in Venice (picture-alliance/M. Chinellato)

    Venice floods — in pictures

    Death in Venice?

    For the historic city, the flooding is an increasingly dangerous problem. The high water is an annual occurrence but rarely reaches levels this high. The mayor has appealed for government help, labeling the floods “disastrous.” Fortunately, there have not yet been any major injuries or fatalities reported in connection with the flooding.

  • A woman in a church door in the Venice floods (picture-alliance/dpa/L. Bruno)

    Venice floods — in pictures

    Don’t forget your umbrella

    Controversy continues in the city around underwater flood barriers which have been in development for several years. Plagued with cost overruns and corruption scandals, there are also concerns that the barriers could disturb the delicate ecosystem of the Venice lagoon. The flood barriers would aim to prevent scenes like this from happening.

  • Flooding in St Mark's Square (Reuters/M. Silvestri)

    Venice floods — in pictures

    Climate change to blame

    Mayor Luigi Brugnaro has been unequivocal in blaming climate change for the especially high water levels. He warned that even a few more centimeters of flooding could irreparably damage historical sites in the city. But with more heavy rains forecast, there is likely to be little let-up for the canal city in the coming weeks.

    Author: Elliot Douglas


kmm/bk (dpa, Reuters, AP)

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Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/venice-third-exceptional-flood-makes-week-worst-on-record/a-51286635?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf

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