Musumeci: “Evacuate those who live near rivers”
The wave of bad weather in Italy does not subside. The weather alert is still on for Emilia Romagna and the Marches, after a day characterized by pouring rain, floods and landslides. Orange and yellow alert in different regions.
“The immediate preventive evacuation of people occupying buildings on the ground floor, near any river, is the first thing to do”. This is the message of the Minister for Civil Protection Nello Musumeci, in relation in particular to the situation in Emilia Romagna.
Code red for Romagna, mountains and hills between Bologna and Modena, the Bologna and Modena plains, the Romagna coast. Orange alert for the Ferrara plain and coast, as well as for the Reggio plain, reports the Emilia Romagna Region.
There will be a gradual easing of the winds; in the first part of the day still strong gusts on the coast and the Apennine ridge. Very rough sea, with waves still attenuating. Based on the forecasts elaborated by the European model, widespread rains are expected in the first part of the day in the central-eastern sector, around 40-50 mm. on the mountainous areas, in progressive attenuation.
Prolonged orange alert, in the central northern part of the Marche, in anticipation of possible consistent rainfall, albeit with accumulations and intensity lower than today’s, with more significant peaks locally. In the remaining part of the territory the yellow alert will be confirmed. The situation should then improve starting from the end of the morning and the beginning of the afternoon. Orange alert also in Tuscany (Romagna-Tuscany, Arno-Casentino, Valtiberina).
There Civil protection of the Campania Region has extended the weather alert for a further 24 hours. In consideration of the attenuation of the phenomena starting from the evening, the Functional Center has evaluated a lowering of the level of criticality which, from 9 pm yesterday until 9 pm today, Wednesday 17 May, will be yellow. “We expect – reads a note from the Civil Protection of Campania – more rainfall, from local to scattered, even of a downpour or storm. The hydrogeological risk remains with possible runoffs, flooding, water flow in the roads, phenomena of regurgitation of the rainwater disposal systems and raising of the hydrometric levels of the watercourses.There is also the risk of landslides and falling rocks, especially in particularly fragile areas”.
Until 21 today, the orange alert remains throughout Campania with the exception of zones 2 (Alto Volturno and Matese), 4 (Alta Irpinia and Sannio) and 7 (Tanagro) where, however, there is a level of yellow criticality and they predict even intense thunderstorms with possible phenomena of hydrogeological instability.
In continuation of yesterday’s yellow alert, the Civil Protection of Basilicata has also issued a critical message for hydraulic and hydrogeological risk for the entire day today. The hydrometric levels of rivers and streams are observed as special for rainfall, given the accumulations of the last few days and the further expected rainfall. Due to the bad weather warning in Maratea, in the province of Potenza, schools of all levels will remain closed today as was the case today. Maratea, already marked by a flood in October and by the landslide of Castrocucco on 30 November, is in a state of emergency due to difficulties in road connections and hydrogeological instability. In Matera, during the night, due to the wind, a tree and a pole fell on five parked cars in the Spine Bianche district, damaging them. Firefighters attended the scene.
Yellow alert also in Umbria, Veneto, Abruzzo, Calabria, Molise, Puglia, Tuscany (Romagna-Tuscany, Arno-Casentino, Valtiberina), Umbria, Lazio.
The schools will remain closed even today in Riccione, in Bologna, in Rimini, in Senigalla (Ancona) and San Marino, in Pesaro and Fano, in Marradi and Firenzuola, municipalities of the Upper Mugello in the province of Florence, in Maratea (Basilicata).
Yesterday’s day
Over 900 people were evacuated yesterday in Emilia Romagna, where the Savio river flooded in the center of Cesena (VIDEO) and, in Forlì, the Montone river. In Riccione a storm led to the closure of all bridges and underpasses. “The serious emergency situation is widespread throughout the municipality of Riccione. The underpasses and bridges are all blocked and impassable. Many streets in the city are not passable. The agents of the local police and the civil protection are closing the avenues in conditions more critical but it is not recommended to circulate throughout the municipality of Riccione”, wrote the Municipality on Facebook. “Citizens are asked not to leave the house”, was the appeal. The emergency room of the ‘Ceccarini’ hospital is flooded.
Several landslides occurred in Ravenna due to bad weather. A few hundred volunteers from the Emilia-Romagna Civil Protection are active in the area, in addition to the 927 volunteers from the mobile columns of Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, the Autonomous Province of Trento and national organizations.
Landslides also in Pesaro, where the Genico flooded (VIDEO), in the province of Pesaro and Urbino. Particularly difficult situation in the capital, which ended up under water. Train traffic has been suspended between Pesaro and Bologna.
In Senigallia, the mayor Massimo Olivetti has ordered the ”closure of all commercial activities in the historic centre” and invited citizens to ”go up to the upper floors”. Attention focused on the Misa River. All schools of all levels will remain closed “even today.
Melons
“A new wave of severe bad weather hit many areas today, in particular Emilia-Romagna where the Savio river is overflowing in Cesena and some areas in the north of the Marche. I would like to express my total closeness to the affected populations. The Government is following with attention to the evolution of events and is ready to intervene for the necessary aid,” Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wrote on Twitter yesterday.
Source-www.adnkronos.com