Venice

submerged
by worst
floods in 20
years

Italy’s
famed “City
of Water”
awoke on
Monday to
find its
historic
centre
submerged
after winds
and heavy
rain pushed
the waters
of Venice
five feet
above their
normal
levels.

More than
95% of the
picturesque

Renaissance centre, including St Mark’s Square, was swamped in the worst flooding to hit
the city in 20 years.

Tourists and locals found themselves stranded when the elevated walkways were swept
away by rapidly rising waters. The situation was made worse by a transport strike effecting
the famous ‘vaporetto’ water ferries and the mayor has advised anyone hoping to visit the
city to “think again.”

Rising sea levels and climate change have long posed a threat to the World Heritage Site,
which was flooded 50 times between 1993 and 2002. The worst occurred in November
1966, when the city was submerged under almost two metres of water, forcing 5,000 to flee
their homes. For images of the latest flood, click on the thumbnails in the gallery below.