Rome braced for flooding after warning that Tiber could break its banks

Antaletriangle · 12-12-2008, 06:21 PM

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle5330066.ece
Rome is on high alert as city officials gave warning that the Tiber was expected to break its banks later today after days of torrential rain and violent thunderstorms.

Gianni Alemanno, the mayor of Rome, said the emergency was equivalent to Rome being "hit by an earthquake." He said the whole of Italy been struck by "a wave of exceptionally bad weather", but in Rome "we had more rain in one night than normally comes down in the whole of December".

Although high embankments were built along the banks of the Tiber in the heart of Rome after Italian unification in 1870, areas further downtream remain vulnerable to flooding, especial the Ponte Milvio and Flaminio areas.

"Rome under water, all eyes on the Tiber" ran one headline today.

Times Archive
1875: General Garibaldi and the Tiber
Related Links
Venice fights to avoid catastrophic flood
Tourists told to stay away amid Venice floods

The Rome Fire Brigade said it had evacuated dozens of people trapped in cars in flooded streets and underpasses. Civil protection officials distributed sandbags to those living on ground floors in affected areas of the city and prepared evacuation plans.

A 54-year-old cleaner, Bruna Carrara, was found dead inside her car after it became submerged in 4m of water and mud in an underpass in the suburb of Monterotondo as hail and rain poured down.

Police said she had telephoned for help but it had arrived too late. She had been unable to open the driver's door because it was up against the underpass wall, while the passenger door was jammed. She was found dead in the back seat.

In Venice alarms sounded as the high tide surged in, flooding St. Mark's Square. However the water level was below that of last week when an unusually high tide caused one of the worst floods for two decades.

All of Italy has been suffering bad weather for days, with heavy snow and hail in the North and strong winds and downpours in the South. Reports said a man died when a bridge collapsed in Calabria.

_N_ · 12-12-2008, 10:01 PM

I was in Rome in September and now seeing this on TV I'm left speechless, that river has huge capacity and it's about to burst it's banks?? when was the last time Rome had flood? I know Venice is nearly always under water, but Rome??

12-12-2008, 06:21 PM	#1
Antaletriangle Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: U.K. Posts: 3,380	Rome braced for flooding after warning that Tiber could break its banks http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle5330066.ece Rome is on high alert as city officials gave warning that the Tiber was expected to break its banks later today after days of torrential rain and violent thunderstorms. Gianni Alemanno, the mayor of Rome, said the emergency was equivalent to Rome being "hit by an earthquake." He said the whole of Italy been struck by "a wave of exceptionally bad weather", but in Rome "we had more rain in one night than normally comes down in the whole of December". Although high embankments were built along the banks of the Tiber in the heart of Rome after Italian unification in 1870, areas further downtream remain vulnerable to flooding, especial the Ponte Milvio and Flaminio areas. "Rome under water, all eyes on the Tiber" ran one headline today. Times Archive 1875: General Garibaldi and the Tiber Related Links Venice fights to avoid catastrophic flood Tourists told to stay away amid Venice floods The Rome Fire Brigade said it had evacuated dozens of people trapped in cars in flooded streets and underpasses. Civil protection officials distributed sandbags to those living on ground floors in affected areas of the city and prepared evacuation plans. A 54-year-old cleaner, Bruna Carrara, was found dead inside her car after it became submerged in 4m of water and mud in an underpass in the suburb of Monterotondo as hail and rain poured down. Police said she had telephoned for help but it had arrived too late. She had been unable to open the driver's door because it was up against the underpass wall, while the passenger door was jammed. She was found dead in the back seat. In Venice alarms sounded as the high tide surged in, flooding St. Mark's Square. However the water level was below that of last week when an unusually high tide caused one of the worst floods for two decades. All of Italy has been suffering bad weather for days, with heavy snow and hail in the North and strong winds and downpours in the South. Reports said a man died when a bridge collapsed in Calabria.

12-12-2008, 10:01 PM	#2
_N_ Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 53	Re: Rome braced for flooding after warning that Tiber could break its banks I was in Rome in September and now seeing this on TV I'm left speechless, that river has huge capacity and it's about to burst it's banks?? when was the last time Rome had flood? I know Venice is nearly always under water, but Rome??