Italy’s Sicily Flooded As Intense Storm Unleashes Year’s Rainfall In Just 12 Hours

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Thursday, November 14, 2024



Italy’s Sicily Flooded As Intense Storm Unleashes Year’s Rainfall In Just 12 Hours


Sicily endures catastrophic flooding as a severe storm unleashes a year’s rainfall in 12 hours, sweeping cars to sea and prompting emergency rescues amid climate crisis-fueled extremes.

By Satyam Singh
November 14, 2024 3:04 pm Asia/KolkataIST

Updated 2 hours ago

The storming of Sicily turned into a once-in-a-lifetime storming event as the island received a year’s worth of rain in 12 hours, unleashing floods on an island scale and unprecedented destruction in its wake. Emergency crews rushed in to rescue marooned people as homes, streets, and towns submerged in relentless floodwaters as torrential rains pounded the region.


Rain Turn Street Into Rivers

Some cars have been dragged out to sea by powerful floodwaters and swept away as relentless rain beats down, forcing streets in Torre Archirafi, a coastal town near Catania, into fast-moving rivers. Residents described the flooding as one of the worst weather incidents in recent memory as vehicles and debris were washed away.

People in the province of Sicily began to require emergency aid after the flooding. The authorities called for all the available resources in order to fulfill the totally excessive demands for rescue. Heavy rains continued to cause complexity for the rescuers’ activities.


Emergency Services Make Heroic Rescues

Firefighters were dispatched to various regions of the island, where people become locked inside cars and homes that were swept away by flooded streets. In Aci Sant’Antonio town, several motorists were rescued in vehicles in deep waters. In Acireale meanwhile, emergency crews helped rescue a resident from a house that was completely submerged by the swelling waters.

The fire brigade used certain amphibious machines in the Altarello neighborhood and could reach a four people trapped inside the dwelling on the ground floor. Two of the people were reported as disabled. Emergency teams continued their work throughout Sicily, trying to rescue residents, pushing through harsh areas to ensure they received all the help they needed.

Climate Change Brings Unconventional Weather Patterns In Italy

Scientific research has established that this revival in extreme weather conditions owes its origin to human-occasioned climatic change. Due to fossil fuel usage, greenhouse gas emissions, the catastrophic climate crisis has finally pushed extreme weather shocks, unprecedented droughts, and devastating floods against Italy. Sicily, along with other parts of Italy, has already experienced one extreme weather event after another-this summer hot summer waves, and severe droughts.

This unpredictable weather which has engulfed Sicily, also affected other parts of this nation like Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna, and Marche, with heavy rainfall accompanied by floodings that obligated government authorities to declare states of emergency. According to scientists, climate crisis increases the risks for such events, which they say are all interlinked: frequent supercharged storms, severe droughts, and destructive floods are all connected through human activity, such as burning fossil fuels.