at least 14 dead in floods

In devastated Emilia-Romagna (Italy), the “mud angels”, as the Italians call them, try to boost the morale of the population. The young volunteers arrived in the region on Thursday May 18 to help the victims. “People need help and we are there. We are young, we are strong and when we see their upset faces, we can only be motivated”, said a woman.

Rescuers are still checking homes

Refugees at the top of their houses filled with water, many inhabitants refuse to leave their homes, so the soldiers come to supply them. In Cervia for three days, rescuers have been trying to check inside the houses, hoping not to find new drowned people. The waters are slowly receding, but the weather alert has still not been lifted. A controversy swells. In 2014, to fight against the floods, the former Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi, allocated 8 billion euros to the construction of dykes and canals. But his successors scrapped this project.