Genoa was in chaos after
torrential rain caused rivers to burst their banks, killing one
person Friday and triggering anger among residents who said
public works to avoid such a disaster after a similar flood
three years ago had been wrongly delayed.
Flash floods washed away cars, caused power blackouts and
left large areas of the historic port city covered in a thick
layer of mud.
The body of Antonio Campanella, a 57-year-old nurse, was
found in the district of Brignole, where the river Bisagno had
spilled over its banks.
The city's prosecutor opened an investigation into possible
manslaughter in the death.
Mayor Marco Doria acknowledged that Genoa authorities
failed to alert residents to the danger, but said weather
predictions "were risky".
"I will limit myself to one fact: the alert was not given,"
Doria told a news conference, where he said the city relied on
advice from regional environmental agency ARPAL - which did not
sound a severe weather alarm.
The agency defended itself by saying that its data had not
predicted such a deluge.
Environment Minister Gian Luca Galletti said that some 35
million euros had been allocated over three years for
hydrogeological work in the area, especially to protect against
flooding by the Bisagno river.
But none had actually been spent due to bureaucratic
tie-ups, he said.
"And this is unacceptable," said Galletti.
ARPAL described the situation as "critical", with more
heavy rain expected as what were described as storm "supercells"
formed over the sea off the coastal city.
Authorities in the region of Liguria said they would ask
the Italian government to declare a state of emergency as
schools and markets in Genoa were closed and the local council
asked people to avoid using cars as much as possible, while
completely closing traffic in some areas.
Premier Matteo Renzi said the flooding in Genoa Friday was
"a very serious matter" and that he felt "solidarity" with city
businesses and residents suffering extensive damage from
flooding, adding they would not be abandoned.
There was anger among some local residents over the failure
by authorities to sound the alarm in time, especially since the
city was hit very hard in November 2011 when the Fereggiano
river burst its banks, killing six people including two
children.
Angry residents in a flood-stricken neighbourhood near the
Fereggiano attacked municipal police Friday, shouting insults as
the officers arrived to check water levels.
Four people were arrested for robbing two city shops hit by
flooding and numerous cases of looting in homes and businesses
were reported in the early morning hours of Friday.
In only 12 hours, total rainfall reached 262 mm, or more
than 10 inches, Doria said early Friday afternoon.
"We are in a full-blown emergency," Raffaella Paita,
Liguria's regional councilor in charge of civil protection,
said.
Landslides were reported in the region around the city and
a train heading from Genoa to Turin was derailed by a mudslide
amid the massive flooding.
Rail traffic between Genoa, Turin, and Milan would be
delayed for some time because of the slide and subsequent
damage, they said.
Late Friday afternoon, the A7 motorway between Genoa and
Milan was closed after a landslide onto the Milan-bound
carriageway following huge floods in the area.
A mass of water and mud came down onto the road surface
between Bolzaneto and Busalla but no cars were hit, officials
said.
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