Italy: Venice hit by seasonal high water floods

Venice: Venice’s landmark St. Mark’s Square has been flooded during a period of seasonal high water.

However, newly installed concrete barriers were successful in protecting the famed Basilica from the water.

At 100cm, the high tide in the morning didn’t reach levels necessary to activate the MOSE flood barriers which are launched in order to protect the fragile city from flooding during the so-called “acqua alta” or high water.

The new barriers installed in the square were successful in protecting the interior of the historic St. Mark’s Basilica which in 2019 was flooded and suffered grave damage after a high tide peaked at 187 cm since the record 194 cm set in 1966.

Venice’s floods are caused by a combination of factors exacerbated by climate change from rising sea levels with unpredictably high tides to land subsidence that is causing the ground level of the city to sink.