More than 20 rivers have burst their banks in Italy, leaving nine people dead and forcing 13,000 from their homes after six months’ rainfall fell in a day and a half.
Almost every river flooded between the north-east coast at Rimini and the city of Bologna, 115km (70 miles) away.
Some 280 landslides took place and more evacuations were ordered overnight. “It was a very bad 48 hours. Water and mud took over our whole village,” said Roberta Lazzarini, 71.
Her home of Botteghino di Zocca, south of Bologna, was hit by a torrent on Wednesday. Streets, houses and gardens were inundated and Roberta said she was still scared.
“I’ve never seen anything like that here. We were stuck and didn’t know what to do. I just hope it doesn’t happen again.”
Firefighters helped residents flee their houses, including a 97-year-old woman who had to leave her bedroom in a rubber dinghy.
“Our community is broken,” said Roberta’s daughter, Ines, who runs the local cafe in the central square.
“We felt completely cut out, isolated, some of us were truly terrified.”
—BBC
