Venice mayor declares disaster as city hit by second worst high tide

 

A woman with a child walks in the flooded St.Mark's Square during a period of seasonal high water in Venice, Italy November 12, 2019. REUTERS/Manuel Silvestri

 

VENICE, Italy (Reuters) - Venice was hit by the second highest tide recorded in the lagoon city on Tuesday, which flooded its historic basilica and left many of its squares and alleyways deep underwater.

 

Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said he would declare a state of disaster and warned of severe damage.

 

City officials said the tide peaked at 187 cm (6.14 ft) at 10.50 p.m. (2150 GMT), just short of the record 194 cm set in 1966.

 

"The situation is dramatic," Brugnaro said on Twitter. "We ask the government to help us. The cost will be high. This is the result of climate change."

 

 

Saint Mark's Square was submerged by more than one meter (3.3 ft) of water, while the adjacent Saint Mark's Basilica was flooded for the sixth time in 1,200 years.

 

Four of those inundations have now come in the last 20 years, most recently in October 2018. There was no immediate word on any damage inside the Church. In 2018, the administrator said the basilica had aged 20 years in a single day.

 

Video on social media showed deep waters flowing like a river along one of Venice's main thoroughfares, while another showed large waves hammering boats moored alongside the Doge's Palace and surging over the stone sidewalks.

 

"A high tide of 187 cm is going to leave an indelible wound," Brugnaro said.

 

A worker ties his boat by the Rialto bridge during a period of seasonal high water in Venice, Italy November 12, 2019. REUTERS/Manuel Silvestri

 

Much of Italy has been pummeled by torrential rains in recent days, with wide spreading flooding, especially in the southern heel and toe of the country.

 

In Matera, this year's European Capital of Culture, rain water cascaded through the streets and inundated the city's famous cave-dwelling district.

 

Further bad weather is forecast for the coming days.

 

(Reporting by Riccardo Bastianello; Writing by Crispian Balmer; editing by Grant McCool)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-11-13

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Well they are correct, the climate is changing. Maybe don't put your important buildings in the harbor next time.

Link

1 hour ago, canuckamuck said:

Well they are correct, the climate is changing. Maybe don't put your important buildings in the harbor next time.

Link

The church is 1,200 years old. You know, the same period you conservatives are stuck in.

Happy dajz r back! Bring me da gondola, man. 

50 minutes ago, pegman said:

The church is 1,200 years old. You know, the same period you conservatives are stuck in.

C'mon now I am a Renaissance man.

Years ago you installed a very expensive dam to avoid such situations, where did it go?
How many of you dirty thieves have grown rich?

17 minutes ago, 30la said:

Years ago you installed a very expensive dam to avoid such situations, where did it go?
How many of you dirty thieves have grown rich?

De tide wus hiyah dan de dam man!

They need to ask Thailand for advice! ????

Get the gondolas in the water and paddle furiously to turn the flooding back ???

 There is a major storm (victoria) scheduled to arrive today, if it hasn't yet. . My sister lives in Mogliano, 15 min, north of Venice.  I will call her in about a couple of hrs see how she made out.

Venice is hit with two different conditions. Rising seas and sinking land. I was build on a swamp , gaund  compaction and water pumping is causing the ground to sink, at the same time water levels are rising.

   last time I was there, Piazza san Marco was underwater at high tide and it was a calm day, I can imagine what it must be like during a storm.

"This is the result of climate change."

 

Wonder if he'd have said that in 1966?

 

19 minutes ago, Krataiboy said:

"This is the result of climate change."

 

Wonder if he'd have said that in 1966?

 

Back then it was more likely the hand of God at work.

59 minutes ago, IAMHERE said:

Back then it was more likely the hand of God at work.

Might still be.

4 hours ago, Creasy said:

Get the gondolas in the water and paddle furiously to turn the flooding back ???

Lmao... that’s surely a “you know your in Thailand” moment

4 hours ago, sirineou said:

 There is a major storm (victoria) scheduled to arrive today, if it hasn't yet. . My sister lives in Mogliano, 15 min, north of Venice.  I will call her in about a couple of hrs see how she made out.

Venice is hit with two different conditions. Rising seas and sinking land. I was build on a swamp , gaund  compaction and water pumping is causing the ground to sink, at the same time water levels are rising.

   last time I was there, Piazza san Marco was underwater at high tide and it was a calm day, I can imagine what it must be like during a storm.

Have been in Venice on two occasions in the  1980's. Both times the Square was  flooded  at high tide. One time  ankle  deep, the other  knee deep.

It was not the water that  bothered me so much.

It was the  moon-fish drifting  about !