Severe flooding in Italy kills 2; drought persists

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Mud and sand bags lie on the side of a street as a shop is damaged after the Ravone underground canal overflowed, in Bologna, Italy, Wednesday, May 3, 2023. According reports one person in reported dead and one missing in the region of Emilia Romagna after heavy rainfall and floods occurred in several parts of the region. (Michele Nucci/LaPresse via AP)

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Firefighters use a dinghy to evacuate people near Faenza, Italy, Wednesday, May 3, 2023. Heavy rains have caused flooding in Italy’s populous Emilia-Romagna region, leaving at least two people dead as riverbeds left dry by drought overflowed their banks after a day and a half of non-stop rain. (Michele Nucci/LaPresse via AP)

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A flooded road is sealed off near Faenza, Italy, Wednesday, May 3, 2023. Heavy rains have caused flooding in Italy’s populous Emilia-Romagna region, leaving at least two people dead as riverbeds left dry by drought overflowed their banks after a day and a half of non-stop rain. (Michele Nucci/LaPresse via AP)

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An elderly man is assisted after being evacuated, near Faenza, Italy, Wednesday, May 3, 2023. Heavy rains have caused flooding in Italy’s populous Emilia-Romagna region, leaving at least two people dead as riverbeds left dry by drought overflowed their banks after a day and a half of non-stop rain. (Michele Nucci/LaPresse via AP)

A day and a half of nonstop rain has caused caused flooding in Italy’s populous Emilia-Romagna region, leaving at least two people dead as riverbeds left dry by drought overflowed their banks.

One person was swept away by floodwaters while riding a bicycle in the Ravenna province, and another died near Imola when a residence was hit by a flood-triggered landslide. Another person was missing.

The intense rainfall comes as Italy faces a second year of drought, which has depleted its largest river, the Po. The river supports agriculture in the vast Po River Valley before emptying into the Adriatic Sea east of Bologna in Emilia-Romagna.

The severe rainfall raised the level of the Po, by 1.5 meters (nearly 60 inches) in 24 hours and smaller rivers in Emilia-Romagna overflowed their banks, causing damage to property and agriculture. About 450 people were evacuated from their homes.

The Coldiretti agricultural lobby said the violent storms, far from bringing relief from the drought, had worsened the situation, as floodwaters damaged vineyards and olive groves.

Lake Garda, which straddles the neighboring Lombardy and Veneto regions and is used as a basin for agriculture, remains near historic lows at 43% capacity.