The total number of victims due to bad weather in Emilia-Romagna has risen to 14, while the number of displaced people has reached 15,000. In the Ravenna area there is a shortage of food and water for displaced persons and farm animals. The short-term forecasts show no signs of improving, widespread rainfall is expected in the region for tomorrow and the red alert has been confirmed in the area from Bologna to Rimini.
The president of Emilia-Romagna, Stefano Bonaccini, with the social partners of the region, will meet the premier Meloni and the competent ministers. Fitto assures: ‘The aid to compensate Emilia-Romagna for the damages is ready but the funds of the Pnrr will not be used’.
THE LIVE BLOG
20.53 – Rail traffic on the high-speed line between Florence and Bologna has returned to normal. Rfi communicates it, according to which train traffic remains suspended on the Adriatic route between Faenza and Rimini: “the works for the complete restoration of the entire Bologna-Rimini section, it is explained, will require longer times than those initially assumed” and, at the moment, “it is not possible to define the reactivation date” of the traffic which, still, remains suspended on the lines Bologna-Castelbolognese – Ravenna, Ferrara-Ravenna-Rimini, Faenza-Ravenna, Faenza – Lavezzola and Faenza-Marradi. Furthermore, highlights Rfi, some long-distance trains to and from Puglia will follow the route via Bologna-Florence-Rome-Caserta-Foggia with an increase in journey times. The circulation of Intercity night trains is ensured, albeit with route detours that can cause longer travel times of up to three hours
20.31 – From Intesa Sanpaolo “a fundraiser is being activated to support the population of the area to which the bank will contribute its own support, amounting to 5 million euro”. This was announced by Intesa Sanpaolo itself in a press release. “Enterprises of all sectors, including non-profit who have suffered damage will also be able to request for one year both the zeroing of the commissions on Pos payments for transactions up to 30 euros and the free fee on Mobile and Virtual Pos “, concludes the note.
18.43 – The Arera (regulatory authority for energy, networks and the environment) has just approved an emergency measure which suspends the payment of bills and payment notices for water, waste, electricity and gas (including LPG and other gases distributed through channeled networks) in favor of the populations of Emilia-Romagna affected by the exceptional meteorological events. The resolution – reads a note – it concerns all utilities in the Municipalities damaged by natural disasters from May 1stwith the worsening of the last few days. Suspended billing includes all those issued or to be issued with a deadline starting from 1 May 2023, including any invoices relating to the fees envisaged by the vendors or managers of the Integrated Water Service for connection, activation, deactivation, transfer or takeover. Furthermore, to ensure the use of essential services in the affected areas, the discipline of suspensions for arrears will not apply, even in the case of arrears that occurred prior to the same date of 1 May 2023.
18:00 – Almost 3,000 men are employed (2,856 including firefighters, police forces, the Red Cross and personnel and technicians of road and railway infrastructures, gas, electricity and telephone distribution companies) and 1,125 volunteers from the Civil Protection who they are at work in Emilia-Romagna, in the areas hit by the floods, to provide relief to the population and carry out urgent interventions to restore the territory bent by floods and landslides. The figures are provided by the Emilia-Romagna Region.
15:32 – In the area “we have 300 active landslides at the moment and about 500 roads blocked, some completely to be redone because they have been destroyed. In 36 hours, the water of 6 months fell on land that had already had to endure the water of 3 fifteen days ago – 4 months that swelled the rivers instead of discharging into the sea”. Thus, speaking on Sky, the president of Emilia-Romagna, Stefano Bonaccini.
ANSA agency
‘It will then be my responsibility to try to convince the Senate to withdraw the civil action’ (ANSA)
14:17 – The number of floods in recent days in Emilia-Romagna reaches 58, in 43 municipalities. On the other hand, there are about 290 landslides in the area, explains a note from the Region which takes stock. At the moment, 544 roads are totally closed. There are 23 rivers and streams flooded.
14:12 – Between displaced people in reception centers and residents forced to stay at home for three days, various municipalities of the 9 that make up the Union of Lower Romagna – 100,000 inhabitants in total on about 100 sq km of which 80-90 percent flooded – are grappling with a big problem related to the supply of food and water, starting from the smallest municipality (Sant’Agata sul Santerno, less than 3,000 inhabitants) and perhaps the most affected by the flood in the whole province of Ravenna so much that the dead recovered so far are two.
14:10 – The number of people who had to leave their homes due to the floods in Emilia-Romagna rises to over 15,000. Assistance interventions for the population, explains the Region, continue 24 hours a day: 8,000 have already found hospitality in hotels and in the structures set up by the Municipalities: schools, sports halls and gyms; the others have found alternative accommodations (second homes, friends and relatives).
13:32 – “Life must still go on, where possible, and without offending anyone. It is also right to give a signal of the continuation of life in contexts like this”. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said this in response to those who asked him whether it was appropriate to hold the Bruce Springsteen concert yesterday in Ferrara.
12:37 – Widespread rainfall is forecast for tomorrow in Emilia-Romagna and the red alert has been confirmed in the area from Bologna to Rimini. The attention on landslides remains very high.
ANSA agency
Tuesday the Council of Ministers on the bad weather emergency (ANSA)
12:36 – To compensate Emilia for the damages suffered, the government will intervene with its own funds without recourse to the Pnrr, an ill-suited instrument for dealing with an emergency. This is what the Minister of European Affairs Raffaele Fitto specified.
ANSA agency
The weather alert continues, now the most exposed Tyrrhenian side (ANSA)
12:09 – “In Casola Valsenio it is a real disaster. We have 92 kilometers of municipal roads, all closed. Due to landslides, our territory is isolated from the rest of the world“. To say it is Giorgio Sagrini, mayor of the town of 2,500 inhabitants in the Ravenna Apennines. “We have dozens and dozens of landslides and mudslides throughout our territory”, continues the mayor.
11:14 – In various areas already affected by the floods of recent days, between Bologna and Romagna, it has started to rain again. Even in the center of Bologna the rain has been falling insistently since early morning.
11:08 – “At the rescue center committee, the Consortium warned us that the Emilia-Romagna canal is overflowing and the waters could probably flow towards Godo and Russi. We have ordered that you must go to the first floors. Only those who do not have the first floor will have to necessarily evacuate one’s home”. So in a live Facebook the mayor of Russi, Valentina Palli.
09:55 – The toll from the flood that hit the Ravenna area has risen to six dead and one missing. The total number of victims of bad weather in Emilia-Romagna therefore becomes 14. This morning in Faenza the police recovered the body of an over seventy-year-old man.
09:31 – The Municipality of Ravenna has ordered the total and immediate evacuation of the hamlets of Piangipane, Santerno and scattered houses. He also recalled that it is mandatory to leave the house, until the need ceases.
09:07 – On the basis of the weather forecasts “some concern remains in the foothills, even with these small rainfalls, because we have constant landslides and therefore there will be an evolution of this picture in the 48 municipalities that have had more than 250 landslides”. Thus, speaking on Sky Tg 24, the vice president of the Emilia-Romagna Region and councilor for Civil Protection, Irene Priolo.
7:46 – Shortly after 6.30 on the A14 Bologna-Taranto the section between Faenza and Forlì was reopened in both directions.
07:20 – More flooding and more evacuations, even last night in the province of Ravenna.
ANSA.it
A race against time to keep them safe (ANSA)