Venice's New Flood Defenses Protect City During Heavy Rain and High Tide

The Italian city of Venice stayed mostly dry on October 3 despite high tides and stormy conditions thanks to a long awaited flood defense system called Mose.

The city’s mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, shared this video of the barriers and the city from the water. It was the first time the system was used during bad weather, having been tested in July.

Parts of Venice were inundated in November 2019 when the city faced the highest tides seen for 50 years.

The flood defenses suffered long delays, with Reuters reporting the system was due to be in place by 2011. Credit: Luigi Brugnaro via Storyful