14 people have died after heavy rain caused flooding across Italy's northern Emilia Romagna region. Floods were recorded in 37 towns and cities. Imola F1 Grand Prix stopped. Although the rains have subsided, the water level in the rivers is rising.
More than 36,000 people have now been forced from their homes by deadly floods in northeastern Italy. Local authorities have extended the red weather warning until Sunday as more rain fell.
"Rising waters engulfed more houses and fresh landslides engulfed isolated hamlets." At least 14 people died after heavy rain earlier this week turned streets into rivers in cities and towns in the Emilia Romagna region, local officials said.
Residents of northern Italy have been told to evacuate to higher ground amid fears rivers that have risen in the rain will burst their banks again. Organizers of this weekend's Emilia Romagna Formula One Grand Prix at Imola said it was "not possible to hold the event safely" due to heavy flooding in the region.
5,000 people were forced to evacuate and some train services were suspended. Officials have advised people to move to higher ground in fear of the rivers overflowing again.
At Imola, the Santerno River, which borders the track, is in flood and race organizers have asked journalists and team staff not to go to the circuit on Wednesday. Formula One said in a statement that following high-level discussions, "it has been decided that the Grand Prix at Imola will not continue over the weekend".
"This decision was taken because the event could not be held safely for our fans, teams and our officials, and it was the right and responsible thing to do given the situation facing towns and cities in the region," she added. "It is not right to put more pressure on local authorities and emergency services at this difficult time."
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she was leaving the G7 summit in Japan early to deal with the emergency situation. "I can't stay away from Italy in a complicated moment," she told reporters as 5,000 people - from rescuers to volunteers - lined up to help those affected by the floods.
The Civil Protection Agency said 14 rivers have overflowed their banks and 23 cities have been submerged since Tuesday. It urged “maximum caution” as mayors warned to stay on high ground.
Italian Civil Protection Minister Nello Musemesi called for a new nationwide hydraulic engineering plan to cope with the impact of increasing floods and landslides.
"If you consider that the area receives an average of 1,000 millimeters of rain a year, you can understand the impact of this rain in these hours," said Musemesi. Citing the Ischia landslide that killed a dozen people in November, Musemesi said Italy was increasingly experiencing African-style tropical weather. "When the soil dries out for a long time, instead of increasing its absorptive capacity, it freezes and allows the rain to continue on the surface, causing absolutely unimaginable damage." He told a briefing that an average of 200 mm of rain fell in 36 hours, with some areas recording 500 mm of rain in that period.
Incessant rain in the Emilia-Romagna region will flood the Savio River and smaller tributaries for a second day, the mayor of the city of Cesena, Enzo Latuca, said on Facebook early Wednesday. He also urged residents to move to upper floors and avoid low-lying areas and river banks.
Massive floods and landslides after heavy rains in Emilia-Romagna region, Italy 🇮🇹
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The mud caused rivers to flow through the city and into basements and shops, closing some bridges and streets to traffic. Officials say 5,000 people have been displaced, 50,000 people are without electricity and more than 100,000 people are unable to use mobile phones or landlines.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni tweeted her support for those affected on Tuesday and said the "government is ready to step in with the necessary assistance". However, spring was wetter and colder than normal across the country.
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