CRISIS IN THE LAGOON
On the night of Tuesday 12th November 2019 Venice was hit by a flood that engulfed 85 per cent of the city and prompted the Italian government to declare a state of emergency. As 100 km/h winds drove raging waters from the Adriatic into the lagoon, alleyways were transformed into torrents, boats were hurled ashore and walls shattered under the force of the waves. All over the city, water surged into buildings as the tide rose to 187 cm above sea level – making this the second worst flood in the city’s history, eclipsed only by the infamous Acqua Granda of 1966. When Luca Zaia, President of the Veneto region, assessed the situation the next day, he described it as an “apocalyptic disaster”.
DISASTROUS DAMAGE