deadly floods in the north of the country

In places, some houses seem totally isolated, with no other solution than evacuation by helicopter. Record rainfall caused rivers to overflow. In the village of Molinella (Italy), the bridge did not resist. In the evening, around thirty municipalities in northern Italy are affected. In Cesena (Italy), the streets filled with water in minutes, forcing some residents to leave their homes by boat or swim in shock. “In 30 seconds, the water rose a meter and a half”says a man.

Authorities now fear landslides

Throughout the night, firefighters roamed the streets in the pouring rain, responding to calls for help. Since the afternoon of Tuesday May 17, according to experts, the equivalent of three months of rain has fallen, unleashing all the rivers for the second time since the beginning of the month. “An extremely rare phenomenon”, specifies Nello Musumeci, the Minister of Civil Protection. The capital of the region, Bologna (Italy), was not spared. The station is completely flooded. At least 10,000 people were evacuated. The authorities now fear landslides.