Monday’s high water (‘acqua alta’) left 75% of Venice under water, as a combination of unusually high tides, heavy rainfall and sirocco winds from North Africa caused water to rise too high for even a city accustomed to putting out duckboards to get by.
On Monday, when water passed the 110 cm-above-sea-level mark that Venice takes as a sign to activate sirens and warn of danger, it didn’t stop. Eventually, it peaked at 156 cm, about 61″—too much for the temporary bridges. It’s only topped 150 cm five times inhistory.
Many tourists, as well as residents, were evacuated. In a number of other cities, including Genoa, Rome and Messina, the weather closed schools.
The situation is especially serious for Venice, which is increasingly fragile not only because of climate change and rising silt levels in the lagoon, but also because of gas extraction in nearby seas, causing the city to settle more.
A system of barriers to keep the elevated water levels out of the lagoon, using movable barriers across its inlets, has been under construction for nearly 20 years. It was supposed to be completed by 2011; its present predicted date for operation is 2022. It has been dogged by controversy and charges that parts of it are already damaged.
True, but in all those centuries, it was relatively easy for powerful and prosperous Venice to maintain and extend. But in the last century or so, the effects have gotten much worse, for a number of reasons.
Industrial pollution along the shores at Mestre and Marghera, not only added toxic chemicals to the water but toxic fumes that can damage buildings. Heavy-duty shipping operations, including the absurdly large cruise ships that dock so close to historic areas, have added to the damage. Add in generally-rising sea levels, and you have a real recipe for growing disaster.
I wish I were more hopeful for MOSE, or for anything else…
No question Venice was once the most powerful and important city in the world, but it has been in decline for centuries.
I think we really agree, except perhaps on the magnitude of what’s important. You could reduce the pollution in the area to zero and eliminate all the shipping and cruise ships, and Venice would still be sinking.
The Storm that passed over Italy has just left the east coast of England. With high winds and low air pressure the seas have risen and crossed sea defences.
As you say it’s a communal problem with Rome built on bedrock and suffering damage too.
In Europe we’ve all sent money to Venice to preserve it from flood damage but completion is well overdue. Maybe the extra income is worth more to Rome than it is to Venice.
Venice is constructed on sand bars that have logs pounded into them to provide a more sound footing. There is no bedrock. The design is not stable and the city has slowly been sinking for centuries because of it being built literally on sand. .
Other factors only add to the problem.