Venice canals and lagoons overflow, leaving the city flooded

Venice canals and lagoons overflow, leaving the city flooded

This week, the streets of Venice have been left flooded with salt water due to severe weather and a noticeable lack of adequate flood barriers.

According to fortune.com, the “floating city” has experienced the worst flooding in a decade, after high tides and gusts of wind on Monday and Tuesday left the canals of Venice overflowing – and it’s streets filled with salt water.

In the past few days, at least 11 people have died across the country as a result of the severe weather. Tides reached 1.5 metres above sea level, and consequently, 70 per cent of Venice was submerged.

Around half of Italy has been directly impacted: almost 6000 firefighters have been called to over 7000 emergency rescue calls, fortune.com reported.

And according to the Australian Financial Review, locals are worried about the salt water eating its way through the city’s restaurants and landmarks – as the brickwork is already corroding due to constant water infiltration.

City officials have been planning to construct some serious flood barriers for decades now, but have been held back by fraud and corruption.

In 2014, Venice’s then-mayor Giorgio Orsoni was arrested for corruption, illicit part financing and tax fraud, among other charges. He was also accused of taking over $600,000 in illicit campaign financing from the flood barrier consortium.

The flood barriers construction began in 2004, and once completed, will protect the majority of Venice from severe flooding for the next 30 years, according to fortune.com.

Latest News

  • Products

Embrace the journey: Traversing the world with the Shokz OpenRun

If you’ve been on the wrong side of a final call in the airport, or missed the stop on rail journey, it might be time to invest in a pair of Shokz OpenRun headphones. Originally marketed as headphones for fitness fanatics, runners or cyclists with a keen to steer clear of a prang with a car, […]

  • Tour Operators
  • Tourism

TTC: Deals are driving up demand for September trips

The latest market research from TTC Tour Brands shows interest in international leisure travel remains high for 2024, with 77 per cent of Australians over 18 still planning trips this year. Notably, 28 per cent of those travellers are eyeing September for their journeys. Europe continues to be the most popular destination, with 68 per […]

  • Aviation

Qantas ‘working urgently’ to fix app data leak

Qantas is looking into customer reports that passengers have this morning been able to access other passengers’ personal information on the airlines app. X user Lachlan posted that he was able log into different accounts every time he opened the app. My @Qantas app logs me in to a different person each time I open […]

  • Hotels

Revamped Wailoaloa Beach hotel opens as Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort & Spa

Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort & Spa is open and ready for bookings after the first phase of a multi-million-dollar transformation. Part of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ premium collection, the transformation has seen the completion of 106 guestrooms showcasing contemporary interiors reflective of the premium Crowne Plaza brand and is a first for the […]

  • Luxury
  • News

Kamalaya Koh Samui clinches clutch of wellness awards

Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary & Holistic Spa has so far clinched five prestigious awards in 2024, including being inducted into the ‘Hall of Fame’ at the World Spa & Wellness Awards in London. Founders of the Koh Samui sanctuary and spa John and Karina Stewart expressed their heartfelt gratitude for the awards. “We are profoundly honoured […]