Heavy rainfall in Italy: some areas flooded

Heavy rainfall in Italy's Liguria region caused floods and landslides. The city of La Spezia and surrounding settlements suffered serious damage from the natural disaster.

 

The heavy rainfall that began on November 11 continued for the next two days. In La Spezia, water flooded streets and the ground floors of buildings. Rescuers carried out work to pump out water that had accumulated in basements, warehouses, and retail outlets. The Italian Navy was also involved in the cleanup efforts.

 

As a result of a landslide in the city's Valdellora area, two residential buildings were placed at risk. 25 people from nine families were forced to leave their homes for safety reasons. In addition, six roads in the province were closed due to landslides and damage to the road surface.

 

One of the factors complicating the situation was the sharp rise in the water level of the Magra River. On November 13, the water flow in the river reached nearly 2,000 cubic meters per second, exceeding the danger threshold. In Arcola and other settlements, residents of riverside areas were advised to take precautionary measures, and in some places to leave their homes.

 

According to the Italian meteorological and environmental monitoring service (Arpal), 226 millimeters of precipitation was recorded in the Castelnuovo Magra area within 24 hours on November 12.

 

By the morning of November 13, the intensity of the rainfall began to decrease. Nevertheless, an "orange" level weather warning remained in effect in the eastern part of Liguria until 14:00 local time. Officials continued to monitor river levels and areas at risk of landslides.