Venice, record high water makes "hundreds of millions of damages" in the center and ignites the controversy over the Mose. Conte: "Finish it soon, by 2021"

A dead, gondolas e boats thrown on the banks, gigantic vaporetti crumpled up on the Schiavoni masegni as toys. Venice suffers the worst high tide from the 1966 and the Old Town hit in the symbols, from the Basilica of San Marco to the La Fenice Theater, becomes the battleground on Moses, the eternal unfinished that on paper should protect the city on days like this. The work, says the Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, arrived in the evening in the lagoon, he goes "Completed quickly" , since "we are at 92-93% of the work". Then he says: "We will join the comitatone, we must not make fun of the citizens by saying that we will complete the Mose next year – he says late in the evening – It will probably be completed in the spring of 2021 ″. While the critical situation facing the city due to thehigh water – which touched the record of 1 meter and 87 centimeters – will be addressed in cabinet Thursday, late morning: “Surely he will take charge of the request for state of emergency of President Zaia. At present there are no reasons to deny it and allocate the first funds ", explained the premier in response to the mayor's appeals Luigi Brugnaro and the Venetian governor Luca Zaia, who talks about "Total devastation" and says that Mose had been in operation would protect Venice. The leader of the League, Matteo Salvini, puts us the load: "The work of the Moses is fundamental even if it does not concern the area of ​​San Marco, on which it is necessary to make other reflections, but I realize that the maneuver comes out with 100 million euros to put a work into operation rather than hold it in place ”. An accusation that sources the M5s judge "Inadmissible" because the League has governed the Region "for a long time and has concurrent competence with the State "on the work.

"Hundreds of millions of damages": more than 70 boats hit
Meanwhile the count of the damages that the mayor has quantified in “hundreds of million euros". The commander of the local police, Marco Agostini, listed a ilfattoquotidiano.it known damage at the time. Three vaporetti they were destroyed in Sant’Elena, a speedboat got stuck in Calle delle Razze, near Piazza San Marco, after being pushed to the ground by the tornado that Tuesday evening, around midnight, hit the Marciana area while the storm was raging. There are 15 gondolas you smashed near theHotel Danieli, as they were damaged about 50 private boats. In San Giorgio Maggiore two boats of Finance have dropped from the moorings. Damage even for 3 vaporetti in Riva degli Schiavoni. Two piers of the Veritas, the company that deals with waste management.

A 78 year old died during the storm
In the night the storm caused the death of a 78-year-old man he was electrocuted while trying to restart the electric pumps in his house flooded in Pellestrina. Another elderly he was found dead in his house: it is a natural death, due to an illness. In the night they occurred several fires because of the electric power stations invaded by water: one of these also affected the interior of the museum Ca Pesaro. Inside the Basilica of San Marco the water has reached one meter and the system of valves and pumps is designed to operate with a maximum of 85-88 centimeters: the whole crypt has been submerged and inside the basilica, at the peak moment of tide, it was measured from the pavement almost one meter and 10 of water. "We were just a breath away from the Apocalypse," he explainedHandle the prosecutor of the Basilica of San Marco, Pierpaolo Campostrini, by jogging the staff for the speed with which it intervened. The high water that hit Venice did not even spare the La Fenice Theater. The political leader M5s Luigi Di Maio announced one moratorium towards artisan companies, traders, families: “The entrepreneurs and the associations that make this region great ask us that mortgage locks up is contributions. We must respond to this request immediately, "he wrote on Facebook.

Snow in South Tyrol: in 15 thousand without electricity
Bad weather has also hit South Tyrol, where due to the abundance snowfalls There are 15 thousand users at the moment without electricity. The most complicated situations are recorded in the dolomitic area and in the eastern part of the South Tyrolean territory. Between Barbiano, Laion, Val Pusteria and Val Gardena, the main distributor of electric energy of the Province of Bolzano is at work with several intervention teams for resolve the situation in the shortest possible time. Traffic is also interrupted along the railway line of the Val Pusteria because of fall on the tracks of different trees, also of large dimensions. The works for the evacuation will probably last until this evening and, before then, the trains will not be able to return to travel along the line between Fortress is San Candido. Also for security reasons, there are many roads closed to traffic due to falling trees. Also in the Veneto Dolomites there is an avalanche risk, while in the Treviso area they have been over 100 the interventions of the Fire Brigade.

FYI NOW FOR NOW (updated at 10.48pm)

22.30 – Count: "Mose ready probably in 2021"
"We will meet the comitatone, we must not make fun of the citizens by saying that we will complete the Mose next year. The Mose will probably be completed in the spring of 2021, "says Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.

20.53 – Count in the Basilica of San Marco
The president of the council, Giuseppe Conte, is carrying out an inspection in the Basilica of San Marco to verify the damage caused by the high water that yesterday reached 187 centimeters.

20.30 – De Micheli: “Mose? Procedure for commissioner "- "There is a procedure in progress, when we have all the signatures we will communicate it to you". So the Infrastructure Minister, Paola de Micheli, replied to the journalists in Venice on the commissioner for the conclusion of the Mose.

20.24 – Conte: "The Mose is over" – "For the Mose we are in the final straight, we are at 92-93% of the work and looking at the public interest there is nothing to do but take a direction in completing this path". Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said this in Venice tonight.

20.20 – Conte: "The government is present" – "The government is present, we are here to give the sign of an effective participation of the government. Venice is a heritage of Italy and of humanity that needs to solve a series of historical problems that drag on ”. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said this at the end of a summit in Venice announcing a CDM for tomorrow in which a state of emergency will be decreed.

20.10 – Count: "Tomorrow Cdm for state of emergency" – "We are unable to quantify the damages. Tomorrow there is a technical Council of Ministers, very limited, which will surely take on the request for a state of emergency for President Zaia. At present there are no reasons to deny the state of emergency and allocate the first funds ". Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said this at the end of the high post-water technical meeting in Venice.

6.45 pm – Prime Minister Conte in Venice for technical meeting – The premier Giuseppe Conte arrived around 18:30 in Venice, where a technical meeting is scheduled after the high water of Venice, in the municipal operations center. Accompanied by the Minister of Infrastructure, Paola De Micheli, Conte will meet the President of the Veneto Region Luca Zaia, the Mayor of Venice Luigi Brugnaro, the commander of the fire brigade Fabio Dattilo and the head of the Civil Protection, Angelo Borrelli.

5.15 pm – Zaia formalizes the request for a state of emergency – The President of the Veneto Region, Luca Zaia, sent to the President of the Council, Giuseppe Conte, and to the Chief of National Civil Protection, Angelo Borrelli, the formal request for the declaration of the "State of emergency at the National Level", based on the Article 24 of Legislative Decree of 2 January 2018.
In the request, sent by certified mail, the Governor refers to the disaster that occurred in Venice and to the serious damages suffered also by other parts of the territory.

15.23 – In San Marco 120 cm of water in the crypt – The crypt of the Basilica of San Marco was flooded by 120 cm of water, due to the high water that occurred last night in Venice. This was stated by the first prosecutor of San Marco, Carlo Alberto Tesserin. "It is the first time – continued Tesserin – that happens after the great tide of 1966, and it was a bitter surprise. This time, the water did not come from the floor but entered through the windows. There was damage to the tombs of the patriarchs ". "Fortunately – continued Tesserin – in addition to the existing ones we brought other pumps, so in less than 24 hours we put it to dry. However, the damage remains, because in these 20 hours the absorption capacity of floors and walls is dramatic. We will verify it in time, we hope it is not as we fear ”.

14.50 – Conte: "In Venice dramatic situation" – "I will not hold back, I am traveling to Venice where there is a dramatic situation, a bad weather situation that worries us and makes the communities suffer". Thus said Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte speaking at the opening of the academic year of the University of Camerino.

14.33 – Friuli Venezia Giulia asks for a state of emergency – The President of the Region, Massimiliano Fedriga, in concert with the deputy governor, Civil Protection delegate, Riccardo Riccardi, asked for a national state of emergency after a verification, carried out together with the leaders of the Civil Protection of Friuli Venezia Giulia, on the extent of the damage. caused by bad weather last night. Particularly affected are the coastal areas and the neighboring areas: from the historic center of Grado to Aquileia, Latisana, the Fisherman's Village in the municipality of Duino Aurisina, some areas of Monfalcone and Trieste, where flooding and damage resulting from the storm occurred.

14.21 – High water also affects Chioggia: 170 cm – "I express the maximum solidarity of the municipal administration to all the citizens and to the commercial activities for the damages suffered by the exceptional tide occurred this night". This was stated by the mayor of Chioggia (Venice) Alessandro Ferro with the lagoon town that experienced what happened in the capital. "The conditions, presumably due to the winds, changed rapidly within a few minutes last night, bringing the tide to touch the 170 cm". "Schools in the historic center of Chioggia have been closed for today – he continues -. We invite the population to faithfully document immediately the damages suffered for any future claims for compensation ".

13.47 – Brugnaro: "Damage for hundreds of millions of euros" – "Damage estimates are very large. Let's talk about hundreds of millions of euros ”. Thus said the mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, at the press conference on the post-high water in Venice. Taking an example of the damage, the mayor underlined that "there are five boats of severely damaged public transport, two still on the masegni (the pavement) of San Marco".

13.28 – Zaia: "Prime Minister Conte will stay one night in the city" – "I spoke a quarter of an hour ago with Prime Minister Conte, he will be here tonight around 5 pm. The night in Venice will also stop". Veneto Governor Luca Zaia said this during the press conference to take stock of the high water aftermath. Zaia began his speech with a memory of the two victims registered in Pellestrina. "My thought – he said – goes to the people who have weighted life".

13.20 – Brugnaro: "The future of Venice itself is at stake" – "Here it is not a question of quantifying the damages only, but of the very future of the city. Because the depopulation of Venice also comes from this ". Thus the mayor Luigi Brugnaro, at the press conference to take stock of the situation after the great high water yesterday. "If a young person sees that we are giving solutions, think of living in the historic center – he added – otherwise he only thinks of going away, because you can no longer live in this way".

12.57 – Di Maio: "Moratorium on businesses and families" – "Venice is submerged like never before. Here the lives of people are at risk – and unfortunately two have already died – cultural assets of inestimable value are at risk. Entrepreneurs and associations that make this region great ask us for loans and contributions to be blocked. We must respond immediately to this request. We will get to work immediately for a moratorium on companies, artisans, merchants, families. Venice and the Venetians must be supported by any means ”. So Luigi Di Maio on facebook.

12.48 – Mattarella calls the mayor Brugnaro – The President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, phoned the Mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, to inquire about the conditions of the city. The Head of State also called the mayor of Matera Raffaello De Ruggieri to understand the situation in the city.

12.22 – Meteorologist: "New snowfall in South Tyrol" – "On Friday, more intense rainfall is expected with 40-60 centimeters of fresh snow. The flakes can go down to the valley ". Provincial meteorologist Dieter Peterlin says so. After last night's and Friday's, Sunday a third front of disturbances should reach South Tyrol.

12.08 – Procuratore di San Marco: "A breath away from the Apocalypse" – "We were just a breath away from the Apocalypse, a hair from the disaster". He said it atHandle the prosecutor of the Basilica of San Marco, Pierpaolo Campostrini, recounting what the storm last night brought to the church. "Exceeded the meter and 65 cm – he added – the water entered the basilica, flooded the floor and broke the windows and entered the crypt, flooding it. The thing is dangerous not so much for the things contained in it, but because the water could have given static problems to the columns, that hold up the basilica ”. "Fortunately, the staff acted quickly – continued Campostrini – and avoided worse physical damage, with our movable gates that were in any case overcome. Inside the basilica there are no visible damages, precious objects and vestments have been raised and secured. The invisible damage that is being evaluated, that of infiltration and rising water along the walls, remains. We are tired and angry, "he concluded.

12.01 – Prime Minister Conte in Venice in the afternoon – The prime minister will travel to Venice, which is in an emergency for high water, in the early afternoon, after having inaugurated the academic year in Camerino. It is learned from sources at Palazzo Chigi.

11.58 – Snow in South Tyrol: 15 thousand without lights, trains and blocked roads – Due to the heavy snowfall in South Tyrol, with 280 interventions by the fire brigade, 15,000 users are currently without electricity. The Val Pusteria railway line is also closed, as well as numerous roads for falling trees.

11.43 – Avalanche risk in Veneto and on the Austrian border – Today and tomorrow avalanche risk marked on the Dolomites and Alpine foothills, on highways and in ski areas. This was announced by the Veneto Regional Agency for Environmental Prevention. In South Tyrol and Tyrol the avalanche danger is sharply increasing. Avalanches can be detached already from a single skier, and reach large sizes in regions with a lot of fresh snow. For excursions, experience in assessing avalanche danger is required. This concerns above all the areas with a continuous snow cover before the precipitations, communicates the cross-border avalanche report.

11.34 – Croatia, emergency in Istria and Dalmatia – The incessant rains and the strong sirocco wind that have been raging for a few days have created an emergency situation along the entire Adriatic coast of Croatia, where floods and interruptions are recorded in road traffic and maritime transport. The red alert for extreme weather conditions concerns Istria and Dalmatia, with the particularly critical situation in Split, where – according to local media – the famous Diocletian's Palace, the city's main tourist attraction, is in part flooded.

11.25 – Martella: "Government follows situations, in the next summit urgent interventions" – "The dramatic emergency situation that has arisen in Venice in these hours, the most serious since 1966, is directly followed by the Government that will face it in the next CDM to evaluate the necessary and urgent interventions that protect the city, its lagoon and its inhabitants". The Council Undersecretary Andrea Martella writes it on twitter.

11.20 – One hundred interventions of the Fire Brigade in the Treviso area – Around one hundred interventions have been completed or are nearing completion by the Fire Brigade in the province of Treviso as a result of the meteorological adversities of the last hours. In general, these are operations related to the collapse of small structures such as signs, scaffolding and poles of technological networks, or plants knocked down by gusts of wind. The events are distributed in all quadrants of the Brand. No damage to persons is reported.

11.05 – Debate in the Chamber in the Chamber on the situation in Venice – A debate is in progress in the Chamber on the situation of the lagoon city: the League has asked the President of the Council Giuseppe Conte that the government declares a state of emergency. Even Italy alive, with the deputy Sara Moretto, asked for a similar measure.

10.55 – New tidal peak at 138 cm – The Tide Center of Venice has made it known that the tidal peak of 10.30 was lower than the expected 150 centimeters. The tide level recorded at Punta della Salute is 138 centimeters.

10.50 – Mibact: "At risk of marble, wooden structures and floors of San Marco" – The structures of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Tourism are working to verify the damage caused by the tide that is now hitting Venice. At the moment, they explain from via del Collegio Romano, it is not possible to determine their size even in light of the vastness of the cultural heritage of the lagoon city. As for the Basilica of San Marco, marbles, wooden structures and floors would be at risk. In the meantime the crisis unit of the department has been activated and Minister Franceschini is following the evolution of the situation step by step.

10.40 – The Teatro La Fenice is also hit – The high water that hit Venice did not spare the La Fenice Theater. The water has not affected the structure of the theater but has invaded the service areas making the electrical system and the fire prevention system unusable (it has been deactivated). The superintendent Fortunato Ortombina announced this to Ansa, who says "we are working to restore what is out of order, all the hydraulic pumps are working".

10.35 – 40-50 centimeters of snow in the Dolomites – It snows abundantly in the Dolomites and in some areas of South Tyrol, where up to 50 centimeters of snow fell during the night. Many roads are blocked for fallen trees, as is the railway line of the Val Pusteria. Over 200 fire brigade interventions to free the streets, while in Bolzano there are flooded cellars. The biggest problems are registered in Val d''Ega, Val Gardena and Val Pusteria. The situation is expected to improve in the afternoon. Passo Mendola, Passo Giovo, Passo Gardena, Passo Sella, Passo Valparola, Passo Falzarego, Passo Pordoi, Passo Pennes and Passo delle Erbe (reachable from Val Badia) are all closed for security reasons, while Passo dello Stelvio, Passo Rombo and Passo Stalle they have a winter closure. On the Brenner motorway, heavy vehicles for heavy traffic and snowfalls are pointed northwards between Bressanone and the Brenner Passes.

10.30 – Bad weather in Austria: blckout and closed schools – It is snow emergency in the southern part of Austria: 60 cm of snow are recorded, in Heiligenblut even almost a meter. There are thousands of homes without electricity in East Tyrol, Carinthia and Styria. In Heiligenblut, as in the other municipalities of the MOlltal, schools and kindergartens are closed. The school buses cannot circulate on snow-covered roads, where landslides and landslides are recorded. On the Tauern motorway problems due to cars and trucks without winter equipment.

10.21 – Mayor Brugnaro: "Serious damage to the Basilica of San Marco – "Venice is on its knees. The Basilica of San Marco has suffered serious damage as the entire city and the islands. We are here with Patriarch Moraglia to bring our support but we need the help of everyone to overcome these days that are putting us to the test ". Thus the mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, who in a tweet gave an update on the situation in the city, where the damage count began.

10.20 – Salvini: "Immediately 1 billion for Venice" – "A heritage of humanity that the government cannot ignore: for the damage caused by bad weather in Venice, one of the three billion that the government would like to give to those who pay by debit or credit card is immediately used". So the secretary of the League Matteo Salvini announced another amendment to the maneuver together with the proposal to allocate 100 million for the maintenance of the Mose.

10.15 – Civil Protection: "Very numerous damages in the historic center" – The Crisis Unit of the Civil Protection issued a first update on the damage caused by the bad weather recorded in the night, explaining that the critical points are recorded above all in the historical center of the city of Venice and on the island of Pellestrina. Critical issues were also recorded all along the coast from Venice to the border with Lignano (Udine) where there are problems in particular with the power line. anus, particularly in the areas of Treviso, Conegliano and the Montello area

10.10 – Mayor Brugnaro: "There are huge damages" – "The city is on its knees. He is on his knees because the water has flooded the shops, overcoming the barriers. Because there are not only the monuments, there are also the Venetians who are those who are shoveling water and holding on. Electrical installations, everything went under water, sea water. There is considerable damage". To explain the situation in Venice is the mayor Luigi Brugnaro, interviewed by Agora. "The damages? A huge, priceless figure. These are the effects of climate events. I think it's time for Mose to work, "added the first citizen who asked for the activation of the state of crisis. This “is the third tidal peak – explains Brugnaro -, today we have closed all the schools in the center and on the islands. It is the worst peak, because Bora has arrived together with Scirocco which has wedged itself inside the port mouths increasing the tide by another 20 centimeters. For this reason Pellestrina is currently under water and there have been two deaths ".

10.05 – Marea reaches 150 centimeters peak in the city – The high tide has reached the new peak of 150 centimeters in the city while at sea the level has reached 160 cm but it is rapidly decreasing, as the tide center of the Municipality of Venice shows with a text message just issued.

10.00 am – Task force of the Ministry to verify the schools – "The task force of the Ministry of Education is working to verify the presence of critical issues in schools on which to intervene immediately. Solidarity and closeness to the citizens who are experiencing these dramatic hours. And thanks for their valuable work to firefighters, civil protection, and law enforcement agencies committed to the emergency. The whole country is close to you ". This is how the vice minister of education, Anna Ascani, wrote on Facebook.

9.50 – Zaia: "Apocalyptic and total devastation" – "We are facing an apocalyptic and total devastation, but I am not exaggerating with words, 80% of the cities are under water, unimaginable, fearful damages": the President of the Veneto Region Luca Zaia, in connection with the transmission of Channel 5 Morning 5.

9.10 – Salvini: "I propose amendment for Mose" – "Unfortunately, there will be another high tide, spanning half a billion damages. The Mose is ready to go into action but 100 million are needed for annual maintenance. Having left here, I will go to the Senate for an amendment to the maneuver to find this money, to secure a non-Italian but global heritage ". This is the proposal launched by Matteo Salvini live on Morning 5.

08.50 – Mibact activates crisis units – "The Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism has activated the crisis unit to verify and secure the cultural heritage that may have been damaged by the exceptional high tide that is hitting Venice". This was announced by the General Secretary of the Mibact, Salvo Nastasi, who underlined "that since yesterday the ministry has been following the evolution of the situation step by step".

8.45 – Schools closed, the vaporetti are operating – All the schools in the city and on the islands today remain closed. However, the ACTV waterbuses are regularly in operation, which can be stopped for safety reasons only when the tide exceeds the meter and 50. The Municipality of Ca Farsetti, overlooking the Grand Canal, has also remained isolated due to the tide.

8.30 am – Mayor Brugnaro asks for state of crisis – After the extraordinary tide peak of 187 centimeters that struck Venice last night, the municipal administration will submit a request for a state of crisis to the Veneto Region, for the purpose of the subsequent declaration of a state of emergency by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. At 12.00 the President of the Veneto Region, Luca Zaia, the Mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, and the Director of the National Department of Civil Protection, Angelo Borrelli, will hold a press conference in the operations room of the Regional Civil Protection in Marghera. "All citizens and businesses collect material useful to prove the damages suffered with photographs, videos, documents or other – invites the mayor Brugnaro – in the next days we will communicate the precise modalities for the request of contribution".

8.15 – High tide risk until Friday – Venice could still remain a "hostage" for exceptional high tides for days. In fact, after a new peak of 160 centimeters on the mid-sea, the Center tides of the Municipality are forecasted today, while others peak at very high levels throughout the week. For Thursday, November 14, 130 centimeters, around 11 am, and 140 centimeters on Friday 15, again in the middle of the morning.

8.00 – Off the fire in the Ca ’Pesaro museum – The fire brigade worked all night to extinguish the fire that broke out on Tuesday in the Ca Pesaro museum in Venice due to the malfunctioning of the electric booth. The team is still in place. During the night the fire-brigades carried out about a hundred interventions throughout the city and on the islands and another 120 requests will be processed in the morning.

Previous Article

Mose, history of the work that should separate the waters: from the green light by Berlusconi, 18 years between bribes, postponed works and rust

Next article

Venice, the regional council is flooded. The Pd: "Two minutes before the League had rejected our measures on climate change"