President Sergio Mattarella on Wednesday called Catania Mayor Salvo Pogliese to express the head of State's support after a deadly wave of extreme weather hit the Sicilian city and the surrounding province, the president's office said.
The flash floods caused by a Mediterranean hurricane that has battered the area in recent days have claimed at least two lives, a 53-year-old man who was engulfed in water at Gravina di Catania on Tuesday and a 67-year-old man who was swept away in the town of Scordia on Sunday.
The latter's 54-yea-old wife is still missing.
Fabrizio Curcio, the head of Italy's Civil Protection Department, on Wednesday held a meeting with local authorities on facing the emergency caused the storms at the city's prefect's office.
Catania's streets and squares were turned into cascading 'rivers' on Tuesday because of the flooding, which caused massive damage in addition to loss of life.
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