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Destructive tornado hits Sicily, killing one and injuring 2 others, Italy

ByTeo Blašković
tornado-sicily-italy-november-17-2021

Image credit: Vigili del Fuoco

One person was killed and two others injured after a tornado hit the Italian island of Sicily on November 17, 2021. This is the latest in a series of deaths in Italy caused by extreme weather events in recent weeks.

The twister affected Trebalate, Serrameta, Sant’ Elena, and Bosco in the southeast of the island, downing trees, collapsing walls, and causing a great deal of damage to businesses, farms, and infrastructure.

According to ANSA, a 53-year-old man died near the city of Modica early November 17 after a tornado hit the area. The man has reportedly gone out of his home to fix a shutter or railing dislodged by violent winds when he was hit head-on by a door that had been ripped of by the wind.1, 2

In the district of Frigintini in Modica, a couple of sixty-year-old spouses are injured. The man was hit by a door that broke off due to the wind. He is hospitalized at the "Maggiore" Hospital in Modica with a head injury. His wife was transported to John Paul II in Ragusa with various bruises.3

Ignazio Abbate, the mayor of Modica, said an extremely violent wave of bad weather has been affecting the territory for several hours.

"There has been a great deal of damage to homes, farms, and infrastructure… I urge everyone not to leave their homes unless absolutely necessary," he added.

The country's civil protection agency said they've performed 300 interventions in Sicily in just 24 hours, with most of them in Modica and Augusta.

In Traversa Santannera, two families stuck on the roof of their houses were identified by helicopter and saved.

A waterspout outbreak is in progress over the central Mediterranean Sea since November 13, 2021, with most of them along the Sicilian southwest coast.4

References:

1 Man killed by tornado in Sicily – ANSA

2 One killed by tornado as storms hit Sicily – The Local

3 Tromba d'aria nel ragusano, è morto un uomo di 53 anni – Rai News

4 Waterspout outbreak over the central Mediterranean Sea – The Watchers

Teo Blašković founded The Watchers in 2011 and edited it until 2026, covering seismic and volcanic activity, extreme weather, space weather and near-Earth objects. Articles on this page are his archive.

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