First, anxiety over the rising river levels, then the overflowing of some waterways and flooding in various parts of the city. Vicenza plunges back into the flood nightmare, 14 years after the devastating one that brought it to its knees. Unlike back then, however, today, north of the city, there are three hydraulic reservoirs for the Bacchiglione River floods, two of which have come into operation, protecting the historic center from the river's overflow.
Major Damages
Between Tuesday and Wednesday, Vicenza lived in suspense, with one eye to the sky and the other to the water levels, repeatedly checking the always-updated weather reports to understand if they needed to prepare for the worst. The fear, especially on the night between Tuesday and Wednesday, was palpable. In the end, it wasn't a disaster, but the toll is still heavy. The damages from flooding are linked to the Dioma Canal in the western part of the city, including part of the industrial area, and the Retrone stream, both in the Sant'Agostino area and in Viale Fusinato, where two houses saw the river waters enter their homes. Another area affected by the weather consequences is the Menti Stadium area, a stone's throw from the center. There was no flooding there, but the floods were still severe: they were caused by the inability of the drains to drain the abundant rainfall that fell for three days. Streets, basements, and ground-floor apartments found themselves covered in water, which only receded over time, leaving a heavy trail of damage and inconvenience for residents. The underground network has proven (not for the first time) inadequate for the climate change of recent years, which has made precipitation more intense.
City-Saving Reservoirs
As mentioned, the damage could have been much more dramatic in the absence of recently constructed hydraulic defense works. The new Costabissara reservoir, which drains the waters of the Orolo stream (a tributary of the Bacchiglione), was put into operation for the first time on Tuesday. They waited until night to open the gates of the Caldogno reservoir, the largest one, the main shield against the Bacchiglione floods, which did not exceed 5.20 meters. Both the President of Veneto, Luca Zaia, and the Mayor of Vicenza, Giacomo Possamai, highlighted the fundamental role played by these hydraulic infrastructures built in the last dozen years.
In the Province
In the rest of the province, the situation was less problematic, with a few exceptions: in the Berica Area, especially between Montegalda and Montegaldella, there were road and field floods; in the Alto Vicentino, landslides and collapses caused fear and damage. In Cornedo, a landslide narrowly missed a house, while in Pianezze and Monte di Malo, boulders rained down from the hill. No one was injured.
The Rescue Efforts
In these days, the work of firefighters, civil protection, and municipal technicians to deal with the weather emergency has been extraordinary. Hundreds of people have been mobilized to place sandbags, install mobile flood barriers, and then help people dry out their flooded properties. In the coming hours, the damage assessment will be carried out.