Autumn Storm Batters Italy: Floods, Landslides and Hundreds of Rescues

A powerful autumn storm swept across Italy this week, unleashing torrential rains, flash floods and landslides from the Alps to the southern islands, forcing school evacuations, closing roads and triggering hundreds of emergency rescues.

Meteorologist Lorenzo Tedici of weather service iLMeteo.it confirmed that the storm system, which began in the northwest, has spread toward central regions and parts of the south, particularly along the Tyrrhenian coast.

Northern Italy: Flooding and Searches

Firefighters carried out more than 600 interventions in the northwest since Monday. In Lombardy alone, 470 operations were reported across Milan, Monza Brianza and Como, with 390 firefighters and 130 vehicles deployed. In Milan, the Seveso River overflowed for nine hours, flooding the Niguarda and Isola districts despite containment basins.

In Liguria, 70 rescue operations were recorded in Savona, while in La Spezia province, heavy rainfall caused flooding in Lerici, Sarzana and Porto Venere, where streets turned into rivers and a landslide was reported in Panigaglia.

In Piedmont, authorities reported 55 operations in Alessandria province. In Spigno Monferrato, search teams — including water rescue units and heavy equipment crews — continue looking for a foreign tourist swept away with her camper during a flash flood.

Central Italy: Torrents and Road Closures

In Tuscany, a nighttime cloudburst hit the town of Manciano in Grosseto province, particularly the hamlet of Marsiliana. Within 30 minutes, roads and streams overflowed, forcing the closure of the regional highway SR74 until debris was cleared. Fallen trees added to the danger.

Southern Italy and Islands: Schools Evacuated, Waterspouts Reported

Campania was struck by an intense cloudburst over Ischia island Tuesday morning, dropping 76 millimeters (3 inches) of rain in just one hour in Casamicciola — comparable to levels that triggered the deadly November 2022 landslide. Schools in Ischia Porto were evacuated after water poured through roofs, flooding classrooms. Cars, scooters and basements were submerged in Forio and Lacco Ameno. Municipal offices, sports facilities and cemeteries were shut down as emergency crews worked to restore normality.

On neighboring Procida, flooding and drainage problems were reported though conditions improved by late morning.

In Sardinia, thunderstorms brought heavy rain, hail and two waterspouts. One was spotted off Tuerredda beach, south of Cagliari, and another near the Poetto shoreline, where residents shared videos on social media. Civil protection authorities had issued a weather warning through Tuesday night.

Northeast: Overnight Downpour

In Friuli Venezia Giulia, an overnight storm drenched Latisana (Udine province) and surrounding areas near the gulf, prompting more than 30 fire brigade interventions for flooded homes and streets. Local civil protection volunteers remained on alert after regional authorities issued a yellow weather warning.