Italy’s government yesterday declared a state of emergency for southern regions battered by a violent storm last week, pledging swift financial aid to rebuild roads and businesses hit by the severe weather.
Relentless rain, powerful winds and waves as high as 30ft battered Sicily, Sardinia and Calabria for two days, pushing water inland and overwhelming coastal defences.
Authorities have estimated that the damage ran to more than 1 billion euros ($1.19bn) but despite the scale of the destruction, officials reported no casualties.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government set aside an initial 100 million euros to address the initial needs of the hardest-hit areas, Civil Protection Minister Nello Musumeci said in a statement.
The sea flooded streets in popular hotspots near Taormina, wrecking infrastructure such as wastewater treatment facilities, and raising concerns over the forthcoming tourist season.
Land subsidence, probably triggered by the bad weather, is now threatening the town of Niscemi, in central Sicily, and around 1,000 people have had to be evacuated from their homes
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