State of emergency declared in Venice
The cabinet on Thursday approved the declaration of a state of emergency for flood-devastated Venice and other parts of Veneto, earmarking 20 million euros for the first intervention in the weather-torn north-eastern Italian region.
A cabinet meeting approved a special decree that included 20 million euros in immediate financial aid aimed at helping the city recover.
“This will make it possible to assign the first financial aid to pay for the emergency spending and restore services,” Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said earlier in the day after a meeting in the city with Mayor Luigi Brugnaro, Veneto Governor Luca Zaia and Infrastructure Minister Paola De Micheli.
The water levels reached 1.87 meters (over 6 feet, 1 inch) above sea level Tuesday, the second-highest level ever recorded in the city and just 7 centimeters (2½ inches) lower than the historic 1966 flood. Another wave of exceptionally high water followed Wednesday.
The exceptional flooding was caused by southerly winds that pushed a high tide, exacerbated by a full moon, into the city.
Although the waters have fallen from the peak reached late Tuesday, St Mark’s Square remained partially flooded on Thursday and a new peak water level is expected for Friday morning.
