Tree falls on car in Jesolo

A 46-year-old soldier died on the morning of 21 October after a tree gave way in strong winds and fell onto his car on via Roma Destra in Jesolo, in the province of Venice. The man was driving to work at about 6:00 when the trunk came down on the roof of the vehicle. Rescuers from the 118 emergency service, the fire brigade and the carabinieri reached him, but nothing could be done to save him. Carabinieri from Jesolo are carrying out checks on how the tree came down, and early information suggests the bad weather caused the collapse.

Alerts across Italy

The Civil Protection Department issued orange alerts, one level below red, in six regions: Liguria, Piedmont, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lazio and Campania. Sixteen regions were placed under yellow alert. According to La Stampa, an Atlantic weather system that hit the north-west was moving toward central and southern Italy, bringing torrential rain, thunderstorms, strong gusts and possible hail. Schools were closed in Naples, La Spezia, Anzio and several other municipalities, and some towns also shut parks, markets and cemeteries. The CNR expected the system to ease in the evening as it moved toward the Balkans.

Liguria and Savona

Savona province was hit hardest, with over 368 mm of rain in 24 hours, while heavy rain in Genoa stayed below 150 mm. Fire crews logged 100 interventions across the provinces of Genoa and Savona for fallen trees, unsafe building elements and flooding. Il Messaggero reported more than 370 fire brigade interventions overnight across Liguria, Sardinia, Tuscany and Lazio. A rockfall at Celle Ligure closed the SS1 Aurelia in both directions, and a landslide between Celle Ligure and Albissola has kept the road shut since the afternoon of 20 October. Anas crews were clearing debris with excavators before rock climbers could inspect the cliff face, and a section of road in Savona collapsed, dragging a garbage truck with it without injuries.

Elba and Venice

Rain on the island of Elba was reported at more than 120 mm on 20 October, mostly on the western side, causing landslides and wall collapses around Pomonte, Patresi, Sant'Andrea and Marciana Marina. The provincial road SP25 was closed between Patresi and Colle d'Orano after a landslide. A hotel operator in Patresi described the scene at the seafront.

“In 65 years that I have been here I have never seen anything like it.”

In Venice, the Mose barriers were raised for the first time this season to hold back a forecast tide peak of 110 centimetres in open sea, or 90 centimetres in the lagoon.

Calabria and Basilicata

In Calabria, the SS107 was fully closed between the Altilia junction and Belvedere Spinello after a tributary of the Neto overflowed at Altilia. Fire crews worked through the night to rescue motorists trapped in their cars along the SS107. Debris and difficult conditions were also reported on the SS106 and on provincial roads around Strongoli, San Giovanni in Fiore, Cotronei and Cerenzia. In Basilicata, a violent tornado hit Policoro in Matera, and the provisional damage estimate exceeds 21 million euros, with over 16 million for public and private property and about 5 million for agriculture.