Unusually heavy rain and flooding hit northern Italy last week, inundating roads and homes and damaging infrastructure in the Emilia-Romagna region. The severe weather stretched on until nearby Croatia, Bosnia and Slovenia.
The floods prompted a national emergency response in Italy. Regional authorities said on Saturday that more than 36,000 people in Emilia-Romagna had been forced to leave their homes and seek temporary shelter.
The severe weather also caused widespread loss of crops and livestock, prompting warnings from industry groups. Emilia-Romagna is known for its agricultural production and is home to some of Italy’s most famous food exports, including Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and Parma ham.
Emilia-Romagna was hit by heavy rain and floods earlier this month, where at least two people died.
Speaking on Sunday from St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis said: “I renew my heartfelt attachment to the people of Emilia-Romagna, who have been hit by floods in recent days,” according to ANSA news agency.
The latest heavy rains are especially devastating because they come as Italy and other southern European countries experience dry conditions and drought. Very dry soil does not absorb much rain, and The heavy rains that fell on dry land helped the rivers and other nearby flooded areas to overflow.
Experts say rising temperatures linked to climate change are likely to make heavy rains and other extreme weather events more frequent and severe.
In Emilia-Romagna, floodwater damage to infrastructure could cost more than $670 million (620 million euros) to repair, according to a preliminary assessment on Saturday from the region, which said costs could rise as more information comes in. In the regional capital of Bologna alone, authorities said the weather caused $119 million (110 million euros) worth of damage to the road network.
The Italian federation of farmers, Coldiretti, said more than 880 million pounds of wheat had been lost this year due to severe weather in the region and warned that stagnant floodwaters could compromise fruit harvests within four to in five years.
“The slow flow of water left in the orchards ‘suffocates’ the roots of the trees until they rot and the risk of destroying entire plantations takes years before becoming productive again, ” said Coldiretti, according to CNN.
The group said more than 5,000 farms were affected, with reports of animals drowning in floodwaters in Emilia-Romagna. The region is one of the richest in Italy and is known for its manufacturing and agri-food industries. Now, more than 50,000 jobs are at risk, Coldiretti said.
The destruction of durum wheat plants – used to make pasta – comes as the Italian government announces initiatives to tackle the country’s cost of living crisis, including an investigation into rising pasta prices and other staples.
With thousands of homes flooded or inaccessible, Italian authorities set up emergency shelters in hotels, schools and gymnasiums. The evacuations continued on Saturday, and about 3,000 people were ordered to evacuate from the town of Lavezzola, in the province of Ravenna, according to the Department of Civil Protection.
Much of the Emilia-Romagna region is still under a red weather alert – indicating a potentially dangerous situation – or an orange alert for Sunday. Separately, Italy’s meteorological service warned that a storm located between Calabria and Sicily would bring heavy rain to Tuscany and Lazio, in the center of the country.
Ian Livingston contributed to this report.
