Six dead in Tuscany after Storm Ciarán hits Italy
The region of Tuscany declared a state of emergency on Friday with at least six people dead following severe flooding overnight.
The death toll from flooding in Tuscany rose to six on Friday evening after rescuers found the body of a man initially reported missing.
"Unfortunately, a further death has been confirmed in Montemurlo," Eugenio Giani, Tuscany's regional governor, said in a statement. "The victims of this tragic day rise to six."
Those killed included an 85-year-old man who was found drowned on the ground floor of his house in Montemurlo, northwest of Florence.
IN PHOTOS: Storm Ciarán causes deadly flooding in Italy
At least two others remained missing on Friday, including a firefighter in Belluno, north of Venice.
Some 40,000 homes had been left without electricity, according to media reports.
Giani posted photos on his Facebook account on Friday showing "devastating" flooding in the areas of Campi Bisenzio, Prato and Quarrata.
Giani had declared a state of emergency on social media at 11pm on Thursday, urging people to stay indoors and saying the situation was "really very serious".
"What happened tonight in Tuscany has a name: climate change," he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“It has been a long and complex night for the entire regional civil protection system,” he wrote.
❌#Maltempo #Toscana, 400 #vigilidelfuoco al lavoro a #Firenze, #Pistoia, #Pisa, #Livorno e #Prato. Potenziato dispositivo di soccorso, in azione sommozzatori e soccorritori fluviali giunti da fuori regione. In corso la ricerca di 2 dispersi a Lamporecchio (PT) [#3novembre 7:30] pic.twitter.com/GQXsdF4aW2
— Vigili del Fuoco (@vigilidelfuoco) November 3, 2023
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's office said in a statement on Friday morning that she was following events "with apprehension" and expressed her "deep condolences for the victims, on behalf of her staff and the entire government."
Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said the goverment was in "constant contact" with emergency services as he posted footage on social media of cars being swept away by floods in the Campi Bisenzio area.
Continuano ad arrivarci immagini del nubifragio che ha colpito diverse zone d’Italia. La nostra preghiera per tutte le persone decedute e scomparse, con la piena solidarietà alle comunità travolte dal maltempo e ai soccorritori in azione.
Siamo in costante contatto con i… pic.twitter.com/kJmtfB7OSf
— Matteo Salvini (@matteosalvinimi) November 3, 2023
Weather warnings were still in place in many regions of the country on Friday, with parts of Veneto and Fruili Venezia Giulia on the highest level red alert.
⛈️💨 Piogge e venti forti al Centro-Sud
📆 Venerdì #3novembre
🔔🔴 #allertaROSSA su settori di Veneto e Friuli Venezia Giulia
🔔🟠 #allertaARANCIONE in 9 regioni
🔔🟡 #allertaGIALLA in 13 regioni
Leggi l’avviso del #2novembre 👉 https://t.co/pNAq6qx4c3#protezionecivile pic.twitter.com/tBbt6SDcV7
— Dipartimento Protezione Civile (@DPCgov) November 2, 2023
Veneto regional governor Luca Zaia warned residents not to travel on Friday, reported news agency Ansa, and many towns and cities across Italy ordered the closure of schools.
Storm Ciaran has wreaked havoc across Europe in recent days, killing two people in France, two in Belgium, and one in Spain.
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The death toll from flooding in Tuscany rose to six on Friday evening after rescuers found the body of a man initially reported missing.
"Unfortunately, a further death has been confirmed in Montemurlo," Eugenio Giani, Tuscany's regional governor, said in a statement. "The victims of this tragic day rise to six."
Those killed included an 85-year-old man who was found drowned on the ground floor of his house in Montemurlo, northwest of Florence.
IN PHOTOS: Storm Ciarán causes deadly flooding in Italy
At least two others remained missing on Friday, including a firefighter in Belluno, north of Venice.
Some 40,000 homes had been left without electricity, according to media reports.
Giani posted photos on his Facebook account on Friday showing "devastating" flooding in the areas of Campi Bisenzio, Prato and Quarrata.
Giani had declared a state of emergency on social media at 11pm on Thursday, urging people to stay indoors and saying the situation was "really very serious".
"What happened tonight in Tuscany has a name: climate change," he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“It has been a long and complex night for the entire regional civil protection system,” he wrote.
❌#Maltempo #Toscana, 400 #vigilidelfuoco al lavoro a #Firenze, #Pistoia, #Pisa, #Livorno e #Prato. Potenziato dispositivo di soccorso, in azione sommozzatori e soccorritori fluviali giunti da fuori regione. In corso la ricerca di 2 dispersi a Lamporecchio (PT) [#3novembre 7:30] pic.twitter.com/GQXsdF4aW2
— Vigili del Fuoco (@vigilidelfuoco) November 3, 2023
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's office said in a statement on Friday morning that she was following events "with apprehension" and expressed her "deep condolences for the victims, on behalf of her staff and the entire government."
Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said the goverment was in "constant contact" with emergency services as he posted footage on social media of cars being swept away by floods in the Campi Bisenzio area.
Continuano ad arrivarci immagini del nubifragio che ha colpito diverse zone d’Italia. La nostra preghiera per tutte le persone decedute e scomparse, con la piena solidarietà alle comunità travolte dal maltempo e ai soccorritori in azione.
— Matteo Salvini (@matteosalvinimi) November 3, 2023
Siamo in costante contatto con i… pic.twitter.com/kJmtfB7OSf
Weather warnings were still in place in many regions of the country on Friday, with parts of Veneto and Fruili Venezia Giulia on the highest level red alert.
⛈️💨 Piogge e venti forti al Centro-Sud
— Dipartimento Protezione Civile (@DPCgov) November 2, 2023
📆 Venerdì #3novembre
🔔🔴 #allertaROSSA su settori di Veneto e Friuli Venezia Giulia
🔔🟠 #allertaARANCIONE in 9 regioni
🔔🟡 #allertaGIALLA in 13 regioni
Leggi l’avviso del #2novembre 👉 https://t.co/pNAq6qx4c3#protezionecivile pic.twitter.com/tBbt6SDcV7
Veneto regional governor Luca Zaia warned residents not to travel on Friday, reported news agency Ansa, and many towns and cities across Italy ordered the closure of schools.
Storm Ciaran has wreaked havoc across Europe in recent days, killing two people in France, two in Belgium, and one in Spain.
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