Days after bringing extensive flooding throughout central Europe, Storm Boris is currently pounding the northeast and central parts of Italy.
In the central area of Italy, the cities of Marche reported severe flooding and disruption, while over 1,000 residents in the northeastern Emilia Romagna region had been evacuated. There are no confirmed casualty reports. All around Emilia Romagna, schools have closed.
Landslides damaged a few roads, and train movement was significantly hampered. Authorities issued warnings to locals to move to the higher floors of their houses and avoid their basements. Ravenna closed its schools, libraries, and parks, and the University of Bologna canceled classes and examinations.
The two rivers that transect the city of Faenza have experienced the most impact, with their levels rising dramatically over night. Local media said that residents claimed they were forced to abandon their homes in the middle of the night on their dinghies.
The overflowing sewage system is another result of high river levels. However, officials in Bologna, which is close by, reported on Thursday morning that the city’s river levels were under control, even though the majority of the region is expected to remain under a red weather alert through Friday.
In May 2023, 13 people died after six months’ rainfall fell in a day and a half, leading to more than 20 rivers bursting their banks.Tens of thousands of people had to flee their homes and the flooding caused billions of euros of damage.