Photos - pre-flood, by Sunny Hill Man
“The experts are right, he thought. Venice is sinking. The whole city is slowly dying. One day the tourists will travel here by boat to peer down into the waters, and they will see pillars and columns and marble far, far beneath them, slime and mud uncovering for brief moments a lost underworld of stone. Their heels made a ringing sound on the pavement and the rain splashed from the gutterings above. A fine ending to an evening that had started with brave hope, with innocence. ("Don't Look Now")” — Daphne Du Maurier
After visiting in person for the first time, this October, it was shocking to arrive home and see news reports of approximately three-quarters of the historic Italian city of Venice submerged this week due to high tides and heavy storms that have led to the death of at least 11 people in the area.Venice's iconic St. Mark's Square was closed as tourists attempted to make way over raised walkways, some having to be rescued.
Restaurateurs and shopkeepers bailed out their business to keep from closing. We enjoyed two fantastic Venetian regional fish suppers during our brief stay, I can only imagine the experience of dining in rainboots would intensify those strong, salty flavors.
To spend time in Venice is to try to absorb the haunting beauty of the place that Truman Capote famously described as: "Like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs in one go.”
Experts claim the flooding is the worst that Venice has seen in a decade, reaching a high-water mark of 5.1 feet (1.5 meters), the fourth highest ever recorded.
The City of Water, Venice faces long term and catastrophic threats to its survival given the degree of climate change and rising sea levels. This low-lying marvel of an historic city is considered the unwitting poster child for cultural heritage and people at risk. Experts warn that the Mediterranean Sea basin may rise by five feet by the end of the century, placing the city in jeopardy of being flooded twice each day. Currently, Venice is victim to heavy flooding around four times each year.
Around half of Italy was impacted by the extreme weather this week and it is reported that over 5,800 firefighters have been activated to answer more than 7,000 emergency rescue calls across the country.
National Geographic previously reported: “Italian magistrates discovered that while the initial cost has been predicted at something like two billion euros, more than 6.5 billion have now been spent, at least two billion of which was spent on corruption.” Investigations have led to arrest and imprisonment of city and regional officials. Although some long-term residents have been moving out of Venice, tired of rising waters and rents driven up by international tourists, others argue that the city is too precious to give up on.
For its own sake it’s important that Venice doesn’t die,” historian and author Salvatore Settis told National Geographic. “It’s too important to let it die. Venice should be preserved not just for Venetians but for all humanity."
Fortune Magazine reports that if and when the flood plan project is finally completed and fully operational, flood gates will go up once the tide reaches 110 centimeters, or roughly 43 inches. "That won’t keep water out of low-lying areas often flooded already, such as St. Mark’s Square, but it should protect much of Venice from flooding for roughly the next three decades, depending on how quickly sea level rises between now and then."
Governor for Veneto, Luca Zaia, has said flooding this week may reach the levels of the 1966 flood that engulfed Venice and Florence back when storms such as these were considered more of an anomaly. These days, however, they are unfortunately, way more common and more perilous —than ever before.
“Venice, it's temples and palaces did seem like fabrics of enchantment piled to heaven.” — Percy Shelley
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