Heavy rain near Florence caused rivers to swell and streets to flood, prompting a red weather alert for the city. Authorities urged residents to stay indoors and exercise caution due to “intense and persistent rain.” The Uffizi Galleries and the Duomo closed early, while more than 500 firefighters responded to flooding incidents across Tuscany. The Tuscan weather service reported that 60 millimeters of rain fell in just six hours, nearly the total expected for March. Floodgates were opened to relieve pressure on the Arno River, which was expected to reach dangerous levels. Local officials described the situation as one of the worst in recent history.
Rome:
Intense rainfall caused rivers to overflow and streets to become inundated in a region close to Florence on Friday, leading officials to issue a red weather alert for the historic Italian city and adjoining areas, advising residents to remain indoors.
Eugenio Giani, the governor of the central Tuscany region, which encompasses Florence and Pisa, urged residents to exercise “maximum care and attention,” cautioning about “intense and persistent rain” throughout the day.
Officials in Florence mandated an early closure for the Uffizi Galleries, the renowned art museum, while the Duomo also announced its closure.
The fire service released photos showing vehicles partially submerged in Sesto Fiorentino, a town north of Florence, with Giani advising residents to avoid ground floors and basements.
According to the interior minister, over 500 firefighters were deployed throughout Tuscany, with more than 300 interventions conducted or planned.
Bernardo Gozzini from the Tuscan weather service Consorzio Lamma informed the Corriere della Sera that 60 millimeters (2.4 inches) of rain fell in the Sesto Fiorentino area between 6:00 am and noon.
“Typically, Florence receives about 70 millimeters of total precipitation in March,” Gozzini said.
“Essentially, it is as if a month’s worth of rain has fallen within six hours.”
Floodgates opened
Schools, parks, and cemeteries in Florence and the nearby city of Prato were already closed following an order issued on Thursday.
Giani noted that floodgates and expansion tanks had been activated to relieve pressure on the Arno River, which flows through Florence and Pisa.
He stated that the Arno was projected to reach its peak level in Florence during the early evening hours.
Alessio Mantellassi, the mayor of Empoli, a town west of Florence, remarked in a live Facebook update that the circumstances “are worse than in 2019,” when Empoli experienced flooding.
“This is one of the most challenging moments in recent history,” he commented.
In Pisa, army personnel were seen placing sandbags behind a barrier along a swollen river, while visuals released by Giani on Telegram depicted the Arno nearly breaching its banks in Florence.
In Emilia Romagna, just beyond Tuscany’s borders, authorities also issued a red weather warning following catastrophic floods that resulted in 17 fatalities two years ago.
Some rivers in this region, including the historic city of Bologna, had already risen due to prior rainfalls.
Michele De Pascale, president of Emilia Romagna, stated that Friday morning brought “very violent” weather.
“We need to exercise extreme caution, as this area has been hit multiple times by floods in recent years,” he declared in a statement.
Scientists have consistently cautioned that human-induced climate change heightens the likelihood of natural disasters like floods.
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