After the Cinque Terre area of Ligura in Italy suffered extensive damage caused by flash flooding, it’s the city of Genoa’s turn to be battered by torrential rains today.
The rain has caused extensive flooding and loss of life. The flood waters have reached the apartment block in Genoa in which my in-laws live and they cannot leave. Their apartment is half a mile from the nearest river. Luckily, my in-laws live on the fourth floor.
***NOTE: for the 2014 Genoa floods, see this post: Genoa Floods, Again ****
Sadly, six people have lost their lives (some reports have claimed 7 people), including two young children, one of which was only 1 year old. (The total loss of live after the 2011 floods has been put at between 8 and 11, depending on which Italian paper you read)
One person had a lucky escape when passers-by smashed the windscreen of is car and pulled him to safety. Heavy rains are expected to continue falling until Sunday.
Genoa’s Brignole railway station is reportedly under water, so rail services are likely to be affected.
Here are some videos of the floods in Genoa.
The rain is still falling and the flooding in Genoa is not diminishing, by all accounts.
Stop reading, start speaking
Stop translating in your head and start speaking Italian for real with the only audio course that prompt you to speak.
Genoa’s residents have been told not to use their cars and to sleep at least at first floor level tonight.
Flooding in Genoa, Italy 2011
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yK_s7i47vRI[/youtube]
Another film of the floods:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJLb2rg_Ztg[/youtube]
And another:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHR3SwYCtQo[/youtube]
Footage which shows the extent of the floods in Genoa was broadcast today by the Italian RAI 3 channel.
Hopefully it will not.
All the best to Genoa’s citizens.
