Storm leaves seven dead in Italy as Tuscany suffers heavy flooding - local media reports

A seventh person was found dead and another was still missing on Saturday more than a day after rivers burst their banks following torrential rain in the central Italian region of Tuscany, ANSA reported.

The body of a 69-year-old man was found in the town of Campi Bisenzio, about 15km northwest of Florence, the news agency said. Officials earlier said six people had died in the deluge that started late on Thursday.

There had been fears that the river Arno could flood Florence after nearby towns were swamped by the southern edge of Storm Ciaran, but the high water point passed in midmorning on Friday without major incident in the historic city.

Ciaran was driven by a powerful jet stream that swept in from the Atlantic, unleashing heavy rain and furious winds that caused heavy flooding in Northern Ireland, parts of Britain, Belgium, the Netherlands and France.

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About 300 people have been forced to evacuate their homes in Tuscany, while many others have their water and power supplies cut, the region’s president, Eugenio Giani said, according to ANSA on Saturday.

The disaster had caused €300 million of damage based on an initial estimates, he said.

Another person, a firefighter, was missing in the northeastern Veneto region, the governor there was quoted as saying by Sky TG24 on Friday.

The Italian government declared a state of emergency on Friday and allocated an initial €5 million to help the worst-hit areas.

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Weather alerts remained in force in a number of Italian regions, with some schools closed, after a week in which the country has been lashed by strong winds and heavy rain.

Italy is seen as particularly exposed to the effects of climate change. Floods in the region of Emilia-Romagna in May killed at least 14 people. – Reuters