Storm Ciarán swamps Italy with deadly flash flooding after record rains
Video showed cars being carried through the streets of Tuscany by the fast-moving currents before midnight local time as nearly 8 inches of rain fell in just three hours.
At least 10 dead, over 1 million without power as historic Storm Ciarán slams Europe
Ferocious bomb cyclone Storm Ciarán slammed parts of France and England Thursday with hurricane-force winds topping 100 mph in several locations, leaving at least 10 dead and over a million without power in Europe.
FLORENCE, Italy – At least six people have died in Italy as torrential downpours from Storm Ciarán dropped record rains across the northern Tuscany, leading to widespread flash flooding.
Video showed cars being carried through the streets by the fast-moving currents before midnight local time as nearly 8 inches of rain fell in just three hours.
Aerial view of deadly flash flooding in Italy from Storm Ciaran
At least four people have died in Italy after flash floods swept through parts of Tuscany after nearly 8 inches of rain fell from Storm Ciaran. (Video courtesy: Vigili del Fuoco)
"We are doing our utmost to deal with this emergency," said Eugenio Giani, the president of the Tuscany region. "We are evaluating all the critical situations reported and working closely with all institutional, health and civil protection levels. I thank the staff of the Municipalities, the operators and the volunteers who are working tirelessly. For our part, attention is and will remain very high until the emergency is over. I am working on an ordinance for the management of waste and excavated soil, to also address this aspect, which is fundamental for the effectiveness and speed of interventions, without neglecting the protection of environmental aspects".
At least two people remain missing as search and rescue operations continue across the region.
Firefighters said they responded to more than 100 calls and performed dozens of rescues, with many drivers caught off guard by the fast-moving water. Four people were rescued after they were trapped in their vehicles when the Tagliamento River flooded, according to Vigili del Fuoco.
4 tourists rescued from raging flood waters in Italy in the wake of Storm Ciaran
Four people were rescued from their vehicles after they became trapped in floodwaters in Italy after torrential rains soaked the region from Storm Ciaran. (Video courtesy: Vigili del Fuoco)
About 60 firefighters working with divers and river rescue teams were searching a swollen Rui canal in Puos D’Alpago for a missing firefighter, Vigili del Fuoco reported.
"We have just sent inflatable boats to Seano, Quarrata and Campi Bisenzio," Eugenio Giani, the president of Tuscany, posted on X on Thursday. "We have also asked the National Civil Protection for helicopters for the urgent transport of people in code red."
Matteo Biffoni, the mayor of Prato, said the situation was extremely critical and encouraged residents in the region to find higher ground and not to venture outside their homes during the storm.
Rescue crews keep busy in Italy amid flooded towns in wake of Storm Ciaran
Dozens of rescue crews have been busy in Italy's Tuscany region working to save residents from flooded homes and streets after record rains fell from Storm Ciaran. (Video courtesy: Vigili del Fuoco)
The local government proactively closed schools, parks, sporting venues and other facilities ahead of the severe weather that saw winds gusting from 50-70 mph as Ciarán swept by.
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Giani said the region had not seen that kind of rainfall in more than 50 years, and it amounted to receiving what normally rains over the entire month of November.
Ciarán's wrath was felt across a wide swath of northern Europe. The storm transformed into a bomb cyclone as it raced across the Atlantic Ocean, eventually reaching a peak strength of 953 millibars and setting a record for the lowest pressure measured in England in November. The storm triggered incredible winds gusting well over 100 mph along France's northwestern coast and left 1.2 million without power.
Overall, at least 13 people have died across Europe in connection with the powerful storm.