Venice under water risk: MOSE dam activated again!

Venice under water risk: MOSE dam activated again!

In Venice, the activation of the MOSE dam system, which is now in its 100th year of use, has saved the city from impending flooding. Due to the sirocco wind, the water levels are currently over 100 centimeters above normal, as the municipality announced on Thursday. The level rose to 114 centimeters and with heavy rains imminent, the 78 barriers on the waterways may have to remain active in the coming days, reported oe3.orf.at.

Deployment of the multi-billion dollar MOSE system began in 2020 and aims to protect the lagoon city from the devastating effects of flooding. Particularly memorable is the catastrophic flood in November 2019, when the water rose to 187 centimeters above sea level, the highest level since 1966. Despite initial concerns about its effectiveness and high costs, the system has proven in the past to be an important protective measure, according to the municipality of Venice. The flood protection gates were active on Wednesday and overall the system has been used repeatedly in recent weeks to counter the threat of rising waters, such as kleinezeitung.at reported.

While the risk of flooding looms in Venice, authorities are also warning of storms in other regions of Italy, including Tuscany and Lazio, where several people have already been injured. The coming days are expected to be characterized by further rainfall, which could worsen the situation.