13 Dead, Thousands Forced to Evacuate as Flash Flooding Hits Northern Italy

Firefighters rescue a person from a flooded house in Riccione, in the northern Italian region of Emilia Romagna, on May 16, 2023. (Vigili del Fuoco via AP)

At least 13 people have died and thousands have been forced to evacuate their homes amid devastating flooding across Italy’s northern Emilia-Romagna region that has destroyed homes and agricultural lands.

Torrential rains this week across the region triggered up to 300 landslides, and caused 23 overflowing rivers while flooding municipalities.

Some 400 roads were also damaged or destroyed in the heavy rains, which saw six months’ worth of rainfall in just a day-and-a-half following a prolonged period of drought, the BBC reported.

The death toll rose to 13 on May 18 after additional bodies were discovered in the hard-hit province of Ravenna, state-run RAI television reported, citing the Ravenna prefecture.

An elderly couple in their 70s were among the dead, according to reports. The couple, aged 73 and 71, were found dead in their flooded apartment in Russi after their son contacted authorities when he was unable to get in touch with them.

“We heard their cries for help,” a neighbor told Il Messaggero newspaper. “We tried to get them out, but it was useless.”

An 80-year-old man also drowned in his cellar while attempting to retrieve his belongings, The Guardian reported, while another couple, identified as Sauro Manuzzi and Marinella Maraldi, 70, were hit by floods in the field opposite their home, where they produced herbs.

Death Toll Rises

According to the publication, Maraldi’s body was found 12 miles away on a beach along the Adriatic coast after being swept downriver.

A 76-year-old man also died in the flooding owing to a landslide, according to The Guardian, while another 43-year-old male died after falling into a well while attempting to pump water away from his home.

Homes and businesses have also been damaged and an estimated 20,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes, while many who opted to remain in their properties have been left without electricity, according to reports.

The flooding also destroyed more than 5,000 farms, according to Italy’s largest agricultural association, Coldiretti.

Emilia-Romagna Gov. Stefano Bonaccini said that an estimated 1 billion euros ($1.08 billion) of damage had been caused in previous flooding that hit the region earlier this month, noting that the figure will likely be higher in light of the latest heavy rainfall.

Bonaccini called for the national government to declare a state of emergency.

“We are facing a new earthquake,” Bonaccini told reporters, referencing the 2012 earthquake that struck Northern Italy, killing 27 people and destroying thousands of homes.

Bonaccini noted that “almost everything” had been rebuilt since that earthquake which he said showed the people of the region that it is possible to rebuild again.

Pope Expresses ‘Heartfelt Sympathy’

A red alert weather warning remains in place for the region and the Emilia Romagna F1 Grand Prix, which was scheduled to take place this weekend, has also been canceled.

As evacuations remain ongoing and rescue teams, including firefighters, continue to conduct operations across the region, Pope Francis shared his “heartfelt sympathy” to the relatives and friends of the victims in Emilia-Romagna.

“While assuring them of his fervent prayers of suffrage for the deceased and expressing condolences to their families, the Pope invoked comfort from God for the wounded, and consolation for those who are suffering the consequences ‘of the grave calamity’,” his office said in a statement.

“Pope Francis expressed his gratitude to all those who, amid great difficulty, are working to bring relief and alleviate all suffering, and to diocesan communities ‘for their manifestation of communion and fraternal closeness to the most-tried populations’,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is currently in Japan for the G-7 Summit, has scheduled a crisis meeting with the government to address the emergency situation on May 23, after she returns, according to local reports.

The government has also promised an extra 20 million euros ($22 million) in emergency aid, on top of the 10 million euros allocated in response to prior flash flooding earlier this month.

Reuters contributed to this report.