 |
| © Dreamstime PHOTO: Canal Grande, Venice, Italy. (photo via Ron Lima/Dreamstime) |
By Donald Wood, TravelPulse
Heavy rain and winds have caused havoc in Venice, flooding the popular tourist destination and killing at least 10 people across the region.
According to NBCNews.com, around 70 percent of the Italian city was under water Monday as the high tide reached a maximum of over five feet above sea level, the fourth-highest level ever recorded and the highest since 2008.
Police in the city revealed that some tourists had been stranded by the flooding and had to be rescued. Many of the most popular tourist attractions across Venice were closed temporarily and travelers were turned away at places such as St. Mark’s Square.
Authorities are requesting that tourists and locals stay off the flooded streets, but for those who have to move around the city, they are being advised to wear high boots. Local businesses and schools have also been closed during the flooding.
Reports from regional outlets claim a woman was killed in a landslide, a firefighter was killed by a falling tree and several people were left dead in Naples, Liguria and Lazio as a result of the storm.
Venice mayor Luigi Brugnaro used the platform to bring light to the holdups plaguing the construction of a system of floodgates throughout the city, dubbed Moses. Sunday’s Venice Marathon was also impacted, forcing runners through the floodwaters on the route
