Hundreds of Rescue Operations Carried Out in Southern Italy Amid Deadly Flooding

Italian emergency workers performed hundreds of rescue operations in southern parts of the country on October 26, as storms battered the region, killing at least two people and heavily flooding portions of Sicily.

The Italian Fire Service reported that 300 emergency workers carried out 250 rescues in Catania, 140 rescues in Reggio Calabria, 52 rescues in Cosenza, and 49 rescues in Vibo Valentia. A storm early Tuesday morning brought “intense rainfall” and “predominantly stormy and intense winds” to areas of Sicily, according to Italy’s Department of Civil Protection.

A Mediterranean hurricane, which made landfall on Sunday, October 24, heavily affected Catania, local news reported, cutting off electricity in some areas as well as flooding roads and plazas. This video taken by Preda Vicky in Catania shows flooding on Tuesday. Credit: Preda Vicky via Storyful