The streets of the capital have become like rivers in this afternoon’s storm: via Tiburtina and sections of the ring road flooded. Some subway stations are also in chaos due to bad weather.
On the left via Tiburtina. On the right the Grande Raccordo Anulare, at the Tor Bella Monaca exit, photo from the Facebook group “Segnalazioni Meteo Roma e Provincia”
More rain and storms are hitting the capital. Since early afternoon, gray clouds have been covering the sky and heavy rain is falling in every area of the city.
The first territories to be affected by rainfall were those in the north-east quadrant where in a short time Via Tiburtina (in the opening photo) has become a river. The cars struggle their way through, with half of their tires reached and covered by the water. Critical situation also on some sections of the Grande Raccordo Anulare. As can be seen in the photo below, the stretch at the Tor Bella Monaca exit is flooded, still in the east quadrant.
Furthermore, during the afternoon of today, Thursday 14 June, a large tree collapsed on the Ponte delle Valli, in viale Pantelleria, a few steps from the Jonio stop of the B line underground. Same situation also in viale Marx (photo below), as reported by some users on Facebook, this time a few steps from the Ponte Mammolo station.
Weather forecast Rome and Lazio 31 May: still rain and thunderstorms
Fallen tree in Viale Marx, photo from Facebook.
Eighty children and parents trapped in the riding club
For about 80 children and parents of the Salario Horse Center the storm made it impossible to go home after the riding lesson: the roads around the sports centre, with today’s storm, were swollen and loaded with so much water that it was impossible to cross on board the vehicles. Right in the club, however, a person requested to be rescued: the firefighters arrived on the spot in a short time and had to arm themselves with a rubber dinghy to reach and transport the unfortunate person.
Ponte Grande and via Salaria flooded: Settebagni isolated
As the Settebagni District Committee announced in a Facebook note, the area is completely isolated. The large bridge, just like the Via Salaria, is flooded and a car is stuck in the middle of the bridge. “There are policemen at both entrances to Settebagni and under the large bridge they no longer let pass, an interminable line at the entrance to Settebagni on the Salaria. To get in and out, they pass under the bridge in via Sant’Antonio di Padova. Avoid travel if possible,” they wrote.
From the Facebook page “Settebagni Neighborhood Committee”
Water bomb in Rome, inconvenience for the metro
Yesterday, following the rains, there were numerous inconveniences also to transport in the capital and today too it seems to be no less.
“Metro A passengers, including my daughter, were made to go down under the tunnel on foot for 1 km – writes an online user – But who reimburses the ticket, the shoes and the taxi?”
Also yesterday, Tuesday 13 June, after 6 pm, due to the storm, the entire service of line A has been stopped of the subway that connects the city center with the Battistini terminus, in the northwest area, to that of Anagnina, in the southeast quadrant. The rain infiltrated the railway network and caused a problem with the electricity supply system, causing it to be temporarily closed.
Today, however, there have not yet been any stops in the service. But as seen in a video that quickly went viral online, the Termini metro B station was flooded: the water gushes from the walls, crosses the entire platform and descends again gushing towards the rails, as if it were a large fountain. Similar situation too at the turnstiles of the Bologna stop.
Flooded streets in Rome: cars cross streets like rivers
In addition to the via Tiburtina, the via Prenestina, the Salaria and the Tor Bella Monaca exit of the Grande Raccordo Anulare, there are many flooded roads in the capital. This morning, for example, traffic slowed down because the Via del Mare was also flooded. Difficulties due to the rain also on the A24, at the junction between Portonaccio and Galla Placidia and the junction of the Tangenziale Est and in the section between the A1 and the junction. Streets also flooded in all the northern quadrant, among which it stands out via della Bufalotta and that east of the city.
Clogged manholes in Rome, Gualtieri: “We have cleaned more than half of them”
“Extreme events that are starting to become recurring”: this is what the mayor of Rome Roberto Gualtieri declared when commenting on the situation in recent days. “There is a lot of water and often there is no sewage capacity – explained the mayor – Out of 55,000 drains, we have cleaned 30,000 in a year and we are about to get to full cleaning”, he explained. “We have 55,000 landfalls under the responsibility of the Municipality and we cleaned 30,000 of them in one year: we will soon arrive at the complete cleaning of one hundred percent of the storm drains which is up to Rome. To these, however, are added about 400,000 smaller ones under the responsibility of the Municipalities.
About 200 interventions by the fire brigade due to bad weather
Thunderstorms and rains caused numerous inconveniences for which it was the intervention of the fire brigade is necessary. From yesterday afternoon until the early hours of the morning, there were at least 200 interventions following as many reports that arrived in the operations room. Flooded streets and houses, unsafe trees and branches, especially in the areas north and south-east of the city: in addition to the capital, also the provincial areas near the Via Tiburtina and the Prenestina are involved. Numerous inconveniences also in the Castelli Romani.