Photos show 'catastrophic' floods, dramatic rescue efforts in Italy: 8 dead, thousands stranded
Camille Fine, USA TODAY
·2 min read
Dramatic scenes of rescue workers carrying people through chest-high waters in flooded northern Italy towns have centered global attention on the hard-hit region of Emilia-Romagna, which has been blasted with rain the past two days, officials said on Wednesday.
Major floods have killed at least eight people, forced another 10,000 to evacuate, and left 50,000 people without electricity in Emilia-Romagna, a region in northern Italy that borders the Adriatic Sea, the Associated Press reported.
Rescue efforts were underway to retrieve people who have sought refuge on the upper stories of buildings and volunteers are using rubber dinghies to transport residents from their homes to shelter.
As much as 20 inches of rain
Reuters reported that some areas have received as much as 20 inches of rain in 36 hours, about half the average annual amount, according to Nello Musumeci, the Italian civil protection minister.
The rainfall has been unprecedented and “catastrophic,” said regional president of Emilia-Romagna Stefano Bonaccini. In Cesena, neighbors held a young girl above the floodwaters after swimming across fast-moving waters to move the mother and child to safety, the Associated Press reported.
F1 Grand Prix in Imola canceled
This weekend's Formula One Grand Prix in Imola was called off to relieve pressure on the emergency services.
The race at Imola, which is close to many of the worst-hit areas, was called off in an effort to relieve pressure on the emergency services and prevent motor racing fans from converging on the reeling region.
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