Severe flooding in Catania, Sicily, Italy

Continuous rainfall led to flooding and infrastructural damage in Catania and nearby areas in Sicily, Italy, on Wednesday, November 13, 2024. No dead or missing persons have been reported. In Acireale, firefighters responded to a collapsed perimeter wall, and no injuries or fatalities were reported.

Torrential rain swept through the Metropolitan City of Catania (population 311 584), dragging vehicles toward the sea, trapping motorists, and flooding homes. Catania Provincial Firefighters’ Command (Comando Provinciale dei Vigili del Fuoco di Catania) responded to 64 incidents caused by severe weather since 07:00 UTC. These included 13 interventions focused on rescues, assistance, structural stabilization, and vehicle recovery.

Reports mention 400 mm (15.7 inches) of rain within just 6 hours in Giarre.

Municipalities including Giarre, Acireale, and Linguaglossa reported significant damage, and firefighters were on emergency duty to manage the crisis.

Firefighters in Catania province have responded to 64 emergency calls involving rescues, structural damage, and vehicle recovery efforts, including 13 interventions specifically for rescuing people trapped due to flooding or unstable structures.

In Altarello, Riposto, firefighters used an amphibious vehicle to rescue 4 people trapped in a house flooded by an overflowing river. 2 of the residents were disabled, adding urgency to the rescue.

In Torre Archirafi, one of the most heavily impacted areas, water from the flood swept vehicles off roads, with some carried into the sea.

References:

¹ Bad weather: Catania experiencing ‘similar scenes seen in Valencia’ – The Malta Independent – November 13, 2024

² Floods caused by torrential rain severely hit Italy’s Sicily – Anadolu Ajansi – November 13, 2024

³ Heavy rains flood roads and houses in Sicily – Reuters – November 13, 2024

⁴ Heavy rain causes flooding and destruction in Italy’s Sicily region – AP news – November 13, 2024

Rishika Yadav

Rishika holds a Master’s in International Studies from Stella Maris College, Chennai, India, where she earned a gold medal, and an MCA from the University of Mysore, Karnataka, India. Previously, she served as a Research Assistant at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India. During her tenure, she contributed as a Junior Writer for Europe Monitor on the Global Politics website and as an Assistant Editor for The World This Week. Her work has also been published in The Hindu newspaper, showing her expertise in global affairs. Rishika is also a recipient of the Women Empowerment Award at the district level in Haryana, India, in 2022.

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