Nov 13, 2012

Venice hit by floods following heavy rains and strong winds

Michael Gold 1 Comment World flooding, floods, Italy, Venice, water, weather

The high tide mark in Venice reached its sixth-highest level since 1872 on Sunday, after heavy rains and intense winds caused flooding in the Italian city.

While some flooding is typical in Venice during this time of year — including some instances earlier in November — news reports have estimated that 70 percent of the city was inundated by water this week.

: A man walks through a flooded street during a period of seasonal high water in Venice on Nov. 11, 2012. The water level in the canal city rose to 149 cm (59 inches) above normal, according to a local monitoring institute. (Manuel Silvestri/Reuters)

: Parents carry their children in a small street during an ‘acqua alta,’ the term used to denote exceptional tides, in Venice, on Nov. 11, 2012. Rain and wind struck the north of Italy, with flooding reaching 150 centimeters, or about 59 inches, in Venice. (Marco Sabadin/AFP/Getty Images)

: A man rests in a shop in a flooded street during a period of seasonal high water in Venice on Nov. 11, 2012. The water level in the canal city rose to 149 cm (59 inches) above normal, according to a local monitoring institute. (Manuel Silvestri/Reuters)

: People walk through a flooded street during a period of seasonal high water in Venice on Nov. 11, 2012. The water level in the canal city rose to 149 cm (59 inches) above normal, according to a local monitoring institute. (Manuel Silvestri/Reuters)

: People walk through a flooded street during a period of seasonal high water in Venice on Nov. 11, 2012. The water level in the canal city rose to 149 cm (59 inches) above normal, according to a local monitoring institute. (Manuel Silvestri/Reuters)

: People walk in a flooded street during a period of seasonal high water in Venice on Nov. 11, 2012. The water level in the canal city rose to 149 cm (59 inches) above normal, according to a local monitoring institute. (Manuel Silvestri/Reuters)

: People walk in a flooded street during an ‘acqua alta,’ the term used to denote exceptional tides, in Venice, on Nov. 11, 2012. Rain and wind struck the north of Italy, with flooding reaching 150 centimeters, or about 59 inches, in Venice. (Marco Sabadin/AFP/Getty Images)

: Rain boots and other shoes float in a flooded shop during an “acqua alta” on Nov. 11, 2012, in Venice. Rain and wind struck the north of Italy, with flooding reaching 150 centimeters, or about 59 inches, in Venice. (Marco Sabadin/AFP/Getty Images)

: A shoe seller displays wellies outside his shop on a flooded street during an ‘acqua alta’ on Nov. 11, 2012 in Venice. Rain and wind struck the north of Italy, with flooding reaching 150 centimeters, or about 59 inches, in Venice. (Marco Sabadin/AFP/Getty Images)

: A man runs in a flooded street during an ‘acqua alta’ on Nov. 11, 2012 in Venice. Rain and wind struck the north of Italy, with flooding reaching 150 centimeters, or about 59 inches, in Venice. (Marco Sabadin/AFP/Getty Images)

: Tourists walk on footbridges during an ‘acqua alta’ on Nov. 11, 2012 in Venice. Rain and wind struck the north of Italy, with flooding reaching 150 centimeters, or about 59 inches, in Venice. (Marco Sabadin/AFP/Getty Images)

: A woman walks in a flooded street during an “acqua alta” (literally, “high water”) in Venice on Nov. 11, 2012. Rain and wind struck the city in northern Italy, with flooding reaching about 150 centimeters (roughly 59 inches) in Venice. (Manuel Silvestri/Reuters)

: People walk in a flooded street during a period of seasonal high water in Venice on Nov. 11, 2012. High tides combined with rains and wind that struck the city in northern Italy, with flooding reaching about 150 centimeters (roughly 59 inches). (Manuel Silvestri/Reuters)

: A woman stands on a bench above a flooded street during a period of seasonal high water in Venice on Nov. 11, 2012. High tides combined with rains and wind that struck the city in northern Italy, with flooding reaching about 150 centimeters (roughly 59 inches). (Manuel Silvestri/Reuters)

: A man rows a kayak in front of a flooded St. Mark’s Square during a period of seasonal high water in Venice on Nov. 1, 2012. The water level in the canal city rose to 140 cm, about 55 inches, above normal, according to a monitoring institute. (Manuel Silvestri/Reuters)

: A woman walks in the flooded St Mark’s Square during an “acqua alta” (the term used in Northern Italy to denote exceptionally high tides) on Nov. 1, 2012 in Venice. The Italian city was put on an acqua alta alert, as tourists donned waterproof jackets and rainboots to explore the area. Flooding reached 130 centimeters at midnight. (Olivier Morin/AFP/Getty Images)

: Floodwaters drenched St. Mark’s Square in Venice on Nov. 1, 2012, during an “acqua alta” (literally, high waters). The city was put on an acqua alta alert, and tourists donned waterproof jackets and rainboots. Flooding reached 130 centimeters at midnight. (Olivier Morin/AFP/Getty Images)

: People walk on bridges set up in front of the Doge’s Palace during an “acqua alta” (high water) alert on Nov. 1, 2012 in Venice. Floodwaters drenched Venice’s St. Mark’s Square, with tourists donning waterproof jackets and rainboots to explore the City of Bridges. By midnight, flooding had reached 130 centimeters, or about 51 inches. (Olivier Morin/AFP/Getty Images)

: Nurses carry a man on a stretcher in a flooded street during a period of seasonal high water in Venice on Nov. 1, 2012. The water level in the canal city rose to 140 cm (55 inches) above normal, according to a local monitoring institute. (Manuel Silvestri/Reuters)

: A man carries a girl as they leave the flooded St Mark’s Square during an “acqua alta” on Nov. 1, 2012 in Venice. Floodwaters drenched the square as the Italian City was put on an acqua alta alert and flooding reached 130 centimeters at midnight. Tourists, meanwhile, donned waterproof jackets and rainboots to explore the area. (Olivier Morin/AFP/Getty Images)

: People walk on bridges set up in a flooded St Mark’s square during an “acqua alta” (high water) on Nov. 1, 2012 in Venice. Floodwaters drenched the city’s St. Mark’s Square, with the water reaching 130 centimeters, or 51 inches, at midnight. (Olivier Morin/AFP/Getty Images)

: Unused gondolas are pictured near a flooded St. Mark’s Square at night during a period of seasonal high water in Venice on Nov. 1, 2012. The water level in the canal city rose to 140 cm, about 55 inches, above normal, according to a monitoring institute. (Manuel Silvestri/Reuters)

: People sit on chairs in a flooded St Mark’s Square at night during a period of seasonal high water in Venice on Nov. 1, 2012. The water level in the canal city rose to 140 cm, about 55 inches, above normal, according to a monitoring institute. (Manuel Silvestri/Reuters)

: People carry their luggage in a flooded St. Mark’s Square at night during a period of seasonal high water in Venice on Nov. 1, 2012. The water level in the canal city rose to 140 cm, about 55 inches, above normal, according to a monitoring institute. (Manuel Silvestri/Reuters)

: A man carries his luggage through the flooded St. Mark Square during a period of seasonal high water in Venice on Nov. 1, 2012. The water level in the canal city rose to 140 cm, about 55 inches, above normal, according to a monitoring institute. (Manuel Silvestri/Reuters)

: A man walks on the flooded Saint Mark’s Square during “acqua alta” flooding on October 31, 2012, in Venice. (Olivier Morin/AFP/Getty Images)

: People walk on the flooded Saint Mark’s Square during “acqua alta” (literally, “high water”) flooding on October 31, 2012 in Venice. (Olivier Morin/AFP/Getty Images)

: An employee pulls a trolley with goods in a small street during an “acqua alta” (literally, “high water”) on Oct. 27, 2012 in Venice. Caused by a convergence of high tides and a strong sirocco wind, the “acqua alta”, reached 127 centimeters, or 50 inches, in the morning. (Andrea Pattaro/AFP/Getty Images)

: Tourists play in the water on a flooded St. Mark’s Square during an “acqua alta” (literally, “high water”) on Oct. 27, 2012 in Venice. Caused by a convergence of high tides and a strong sirocco wind, the “acqua alta”, reached 127 centimeters, or 50 inches, in the morning. (Andrea Pattaro/AFP/Getty Images)

: Tourists sit in St. Mark Square during a period of seasonal high water in Venice. The water in the canal city rose to 127 centimeters, or 50 inches, above the normal level. (Manuel Silvestri/Reuters)

: Tourists walk on raised platforms on top of floodwaters in St. Mark Square during a period of seasonal high water in Venice on Oct. 27, 2012. The water in the canal city rose to 127 centimeters, or 50 inches, above the normal level. (Manuel Silvestri/Reuters)

: A worker pulls a garbage cart during a period of seasonal high water in Venice on Oct. 27, 2012. The water in the canal city rose to 127 centimeters, or 50 inches, above the normal level. (Manuel Silvestri/Reuters)

Three more die in Italy floods; Venice waters receding
Reuters
7:56 a.m. EST, November 13, 2012

FLORENCE, Italy – Three people died when their car fell off a collapsed bridge on Tuesday, as flooding battered central Italy for a third straight day, forcing part of Italy’s main north-south highway to close.

Water levels were receding, however, in Venice, the lagoon city and Unesco world heritage site that at the weekend saw its sixth-worst flooding since records began in 1872.

St Marks’ Square, one of the lowest lying areas of the city, where some tourists were able to swim in high water on Sunday, was returning to normal, a city official said.

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