News City

Floods cause havoc in Rome

By: Wanted in Rome

Date:

11 Sep, 2017

Weather alert remains in place as parts of capital still under water.

Several underpasses and low-lying areas of Rome remain flooded following violent rain storms which swept across Italy on Sunday 10 September.

In addition to widespread flooding in the capital, the rain caused traffic chaos, flight disruptions, landslides, the temporary suspension of Metro A and B, fallen trees, electricity blackouts and even rubbish skips floating past the Colosseum.

The city council is now facing heavy criticism over its alleged lack of preparation for the storm which saw 100 milimetres of rain fall in just three hours.

Opposition politicians claim that Rome's drains were not adequately cleaned in advance of the storm whose full extent was underestimated by the city.

The weather alert for Rome remains at code orange - the second highest level - for the next 24-36 hours as Palazzo Chigi holds an emergency meeting about the state of the river Tiber.

Severe flooding in Livorno, in Tuscany, caused at least six deaths on 10 September, including four members of one family who drowned after being trapped in a basement.

The effects of the rainstorm across Italy were aggravated due to the land being unable to absorb the sudden rainfall following months of drought, according to Italian agricultural organisation Coldiretti.

Photo La Repubblica