Thu Sep 19 08:06:04 UTC 2024: ## Thousands Evacuated in Italy as Torrential Rains Cause Flooding
**ROME -** Over a thousand residents were evacuated in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna after torrential rains triggered severe flooding overnight, local media reported Thursday.
The floods, which affected the provinces of Ravenna, Bologna and Faenza, forced residents to seek shelter in schools, sports centers, and other designated areas.
The situation was particularly severe in Ravenna, where almost 800 residents spent the night in shelters.
“The night was dramatic,” Faenza Mayor Massimo Isola told state TV Rainews. “We waited for the river flood to cross the city. It rose really close to the limit, but thanks to the works done over the past year we managed to avoid an overflow in the center of the city.”
The Faenza area is still recovering from devastating floods that hit Emilia-Romagna in May 2023, claiming 17 lives and causing billions of euros in damages.
Schools and trains across the affected areas have been closed, and residents are advised to avoid travel and work from home where possible.
This latest flooding comes as several Central and Eastern European nations, including Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Romania, are also struggling with severe flooding. The death toll from those floods has exceeded 20 people across the region.
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