Flooding after heavy rain: Uninhabited building collapses

By Robert Messer

Palermo/Catanzaro - Storms with heavy rainfall and strong winds hit the south of Italy at the weekend. The Calabria region in the deep south of the country and the Mediterranean island of Sicily were particularly affected. There were floods and landslides in some areas. There were no reports of casualties.

Civil defense workers make their way through the water with a bulldozer.
Civil defense workers make their way through the water with a bulldozer.  © Alfonso Di Vincenzo/IPA via ZUMA Press/dpa

In the Sicilian island capital of Palermo, an uninhabited building collapsed due to the strong winds.

Trees also toppled in some villages. Some streams also burst their banks. In Calabria, rain and wind caused chaos in some areas.

Roads are still flooded there. However, according to the weather service, the situation has calmed down for the time being.

The Aeolian Islands north of Sicily, which are popular with tourists, were also affected. The authorities reported millions in damage to the port facilities on some of the islands, according to the Ansa news agency.

In many places, streams burst their banks and flooded roads.
ContentImage.Description   © Alfonso Di Vincenzo/IPA via ZUMA Press/dpa

At times, the islands were inaccessible by boat due to the wind. The island of Stromboli with the volcano of the same name is particularly well-known.