Nine Dead After Torrential Rains In Northern Italy Wreak Havoc, F1 Grand Prix Cancelled

Torrential rains in northern Italy have triggered a deluge in Emilia-Romagna. Formula One Grand Prix set for Sunday in Imola, has also been cancelled to relieve pressure on emergency services.

At least nine people have died and thousands evacuated from their homes in Italy's northern Emilia-Romagna region due to the torrential rains which triggered floods and landslides. Civil Protection Minister Nello Musumeci said on Wednesday, that some areas received half their average annual rainfall in just 36 hours, which has caused river banks to burst and submerged thousands of acres of farmland, reported Reuters. Formula One Grand Prix set for Sunday in Imola, has been cancelled to relieve pressure on emergency services and prevent motor race fans from coming to the inundated region.

"We are facing catastrophic events that have probably not been seen before," the president of the Emilia-Romagna region Stefano Bonaccini, Reuters reported. "Extraordinary amounts of rain have fallen on land no longer capable of absorbing them."

The local interior ministry representative of the Adriatic coastal city of Ravenna said some 14,000 people would have to be evacuated from the area as soon as possible. Authorities said flooding had hit 37 towns and communities and around 120 landslides had been registered, as per the news agency.

A bridge near Bologna collapsed, some roads were undermined by floodwaters and many rail services were suspended. Civil Protection Minister Musumeci said he would ask the cabinet to unlock 20 million euros (USD 22 million) for the affected area when it meets on May 23 to consider relief measures.

In the city of Cesena, residents climbed on the rooftops and waited to be rescued by helicopter or boat, reported BBC. People are sheltering in gyms and schools across Emilia-Romagna and there is no electricity in the town.

This is the second time Emilia-Romagna has faced bad weather, in the beginning of May, two people died due to the torrential rain.

The rain is following severe drought which has made the soil almost incapable of facing to absorb water and worsening the impact of the floods. Minister Musumeci said between 200mm to 500mm of rain fell in some parts of the region in 1-1/2 days, compared with average annual rainfall of 1,000 mm. Further rain is expected in the region over the coming days.