Venice was inundated with the heaviest floods to hit the city in more than 50 years beginning late Tuesday, with tourists seeking shelter along the streets and St. Mark's Square gradually turning into a lake.
According to local media, a 78-year-old citizen was killed by electric shock as the water ran into his house.
Venice's mayor Luigi Brugnaro said on Friday that he was going to declare a state of emergency at an upcoming press conference.
Alle 12.00 conferenza stampa con @zaiapresidente e Angelo Borelli @DPCgov
— Luigi Brugnaro (@LuigiBrugnaro) November 13, 2019
Chiederemo stato di crisi. Cittadini e imprese raccolgano materiale utile a dimostrare danni subiti. Nei prossimi giorni comunicheremo modalità per richiesta di contributo
Info: https://t.co/SzLWTGi5XM pic.twitter.com/NDXsFLo34R
"It will be a long night", he added. "The fears of a few hours ago are now being replaced by an assessment of the damage done".
Sarà una lunga notte. L'acqua alta inizia a scendere. La paura di qualche ora fa ora lascia spazio alla conta dei primi danni. Una marea a 187 cm è una ferita che lascia segni indelebili. Adesso il governo deve ascoltare #Venezia pic.twitter.com/bRIxKwm8vn
— Luigi Brugnaro (@LuigiBrugnaro) November 12, 2019
"We're currently facing an exceptionally high tide. Everyone has been mobilised to cope with the emergency", Luigi Brugnaro said.
👉 Stiamo affrondando una marea più che eccezionale.
— Luigi Brugnaro (@LuigiBrugnaro) November 12, 2019
⚠ Tutti mobilitati per gestire l'emergenza: #PoliziaLocale, @infprefve, #ProtezioneCivile del @comunevenezia, @vvfveneto e tutte le forze dell'ordine, insieme per #Venezia pic.twitter.com/3HdZt2WwfN
Tables and chairs are scattered all around in the dark water, with taxi drivers helping people to get out of their cars through the windows.
AGGIORNAMENTO/ Venezia, allarme acqua alta eccezionale: 145 centimetri https://t.co/pJ7YOC9dg9 pic.twitter.com/VFMUBBXa8y
— laNuovaVeneziaMestre (@nuova_venezia) November 12, 2019
Venice: water levels up by ~50 inches • around 15% city flooded • Reuters • Nov 12 2019 pic.twitter.com/cGDXJefeyJ
— redball (@redball2) November 13, 2019
The worst nightmare ... 190 cm tonight ... hard to find the right words for this disaster ... 💔 #venezia #venice #serenissima #acquaalta pic.twitter.com/ucvIaNM4Zn
— Emily (@VenexianaVE) November 12, 2019
According to the national weather service, the heavy rains have caused school closings in several southern cities, including Taranto, Brindisi, Pozzallo, Noto, and Matera.
In 2018, Italy struggled with heavy rains and storms that devastated parts of the country, reaching an overall death toll of at least 17 people.