Heavy rainfall triggered flooding and landslides across Italy’s Tuscany region on Thursday, forcing the evacuation of approximately 100 residents, disrupting transport and prompting authorities to maintain the highest level of weather alert.
According to Italian newspaper La Repubblica, torrential rain battered Massa, Carrara and several areas along the Tyrrhenian coast, causing rivers and streams to overflow and raising concerns about further flooding.
Regional authorities maintained a red weather alert until midnight Thursday as emergency teams monitored rising water levels and the risk of additional landslides.
In Massa, the Frigido River burst its banks following intense rainfall, while approximately 100 residents of the hamlets of Casette and Forno remained evacuated after a landslide blocked the road connecting the villages to surrounding areas.
The landslide left access to the communities disrupted, complicating movement and emergency operations.
Flooding was also reported in the province of Lucca, where several smaller waterways and the Serchio River overflowed following prolonged rainfall.
In San Giuliano Terme, in the province of Pisa, residents living in homes along the Serchio floodplain remained evacuated as authorities continued monitoring the river.
A bridge in the Ripafratta area also remained closed because of the flooding risk.
Meanwhile, an overnight landslide in the Caprigliola area of Massa-Carrara forced authorities to temporarily close a road in both directions.
Traffic was diverted to alternative routes while crews assessed the affected section and worked to restore safe passage.
The severe weather caused widespread disruption across parts of northern Tuscany, particularly in communities situated near rivers, streams and unstable hillsides.
Authorities continued monitoring conditions as the red weather warning remained in effect, with evacuated residents awaiting confirmation that it was safe to return to their homes.
No casualties were reported in the initial account, while the full extent of the damage had yet to be established.