Two people are missing and about 1000 people have been evacuated from their homes after severe flooding and landslides hit the Emilia-Romagna region in northeastern Italy. The mayor of Ravenna described the situation as a "complete emergency," UNN reports with reference to France 24.
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Italian authorities have evacuated about 1,000 people from their homes as the end of Storm Boris hit the country's northeastern region, which was devastated by deadly flooding last year, regional authorities said Thursday.
The strong winds and rains that have ravaged Central and Eastern Europe and killed 24 people hit the Emilia-Romagna and Marche regions on Wednesday, leaving some cities underwater.
Шторм "Борис" у Європі забрав життя вже 24 людей19.09.24, 13:57
Italian Deputy Transport Minister Galeazzo Bignami said at a press conference that two people went missing after taking refuge on the roof, which then collapsed.
Schools closed and trains were canceled on Thursday as rains hit the same area that was hit by two floods in May 2023 that killed 17 people and caused billions of euros in damage.
Local residents of Faenza told Local Team that they blame the authorities for the new damage to their homes.
"We are in an absolute state of emergency," Ravenna Mayor Michel De Pascal told Radio 24, noting that the situation is "very similar to what we had last May.
"The population is in a state of high alert," Irene Priolo, acting head of Emilia-Romagna, told Radio Rai 1, adding that last year 45,000 people were evacuated, but this time the damage will not be as great.
Priolo defended her administration, saying that "a lot of construction work has been done" since the floods last year.
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Storm Boris caused widespread flooding and heavy rainfall, affecting Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland and Romania.
Experts say that climate change, caused by greenhouse gas emissions from human activity, is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as rainstorms and floods.