Environment Environmental disasters Floods

The appeal of the President of the Region

Bonaccini: "Reality has exceeded the worst forecasts, the situation is dramatic"

Stefano Bonaccini in a video message on Facebook addresses citizens directly: "Listen to the competent authorities, no one puts their safety at risk"

17/05/2023

"Listen to the advice of your mayors, we are in contact with them. Listen to the advice of the competent authorities. No one should put their safety at risk, which is the most important thing right now."

This is the appeal that the president of the Emilia-Romagna Region, Stefano Bonaccini, addressed to all the Emilia-Romagna people, in particular those affected by the floods of these hours due to the rains.

"Reality has exceeded the worst forecasts. The situation is really dramatic in many areas of Emilia-Romagna". "We had decreed the weather alert with the closure of schools and the limitation of travel only if necessary. But the amount of water that has fallen has already reached and in some cases exceeded what fell two weeks ago, which was already a rain for unprecedented intensity. The rain that falls goes directly into the rivers because it cannot be absorbed by land that had been so heavily invested by the rains of recent days".

"We have several areas where the rivers are flooded or are likely to do so tonight: part of Bologna, in Forlì and Cesena, in most of Ravenna and part of Rimini. From midnight to noon tomorrow (today, ed) - announced the governor - an additional 60 mm of water are expected. So the first thing is the safety of people. Listen to the advice of your mayors, we are in contact with them; listen to the advice of the competent authorities; No one should put their safety at risk, which is the most important thing right now."

At the end of his video message, Bonaccini sent encouragement: "We suffered a devastating earthquake eleven years ago; we have known the terrible pandemic; We did not think we would have to live such a dramatic situation. You will see that we will be able to compensate those who have been damaged and to rebuild what is damaged. The government is close to us, I have spoken with several ministers in these hours. As well as my fellow presidents of the Region who are giving us a hand with mobile columns that come from the Civil Protection and other parts. As well as firefighters from other regions as well. I recommend safety first of all."