Overnight storms flood Rome streets and trigger about 120 fire brigade call-outs
Overnight from 7 to 8 October, fallen trees, flooded roads and metro stations hit Rome, while storm damage was also reported in Naples, on Ischia, in Viareggio and near Pisa.
Rome absorbs the brunt
A wave of storms overnight from 7 to 8 October flooded streets and brought down trees across Rome and its province. The city's fire brigade counted about 120 interventions between 20:00 and 08:00, mostly for fallen trees and branches, telephone poles and water seeping into homes. A tree fell on a car, and no injuries were reported.
- Fire brigade count of overnight interventions in Rome starts
- Count reaches about 120 interventions in Rome and province
The fire brigade said its operations room was still receiving many requests for help.
The operations room of the Command continues to receive numerous requests for assistance from citizens from across the whole of Rome and its province.
Flooding and transport
The Palmiro Togliatti in Rome East was completely underwater, and parts of the Laurentina and Pontina state roads were flooded as well. Traffic was congested across the city and the province. Fanpage reported a flooded stretch in front of the entrance to the Gemelli polyclinic on the Pineta Sacchetti side. Atac said all Rome metro lines were running regularly. Rai described 40 minutes of rain that left water pouring down the stairways of metro line A, commuters struggling at Cinecittà, and the Manzoni stop being closed in the same minutes.
Damage beyond the capital
Wind brought down trees from the north of Rome as far as EUR, and calls for help also came from Guidonia Montecelio and the Lazio coast from Tarquinia to the Pontine area. Elsewhere in Italy, Naples saw extensive flooding and disruption to transport after torrential rain. A bolt of lightning damaged a church on Ischia. In Viareggio, buildings were damaged and trees felled, and near Pisa a tornado ripped the roof off a factory building.
Alert for the days ahead
Civil Protection issued a yellow alert for all provinces of Lazio: Rome, Frosinone, Viterbo, Rieti and Latina. The alert runs until the night between 8 and 9 October, a Friday. A strong storm was forecast for Rome between 10 and 12. Forecasters expected the afternoon to improve, with cloud but no further extreme events, and possible rain at night.
