Storm Boris Hits Italy After Striking Eastern and Central Europe
Storm Boris battered the central and northern regions of Italy in September , adding to a long list of catastrophic flooding events in recent history. (Flickr)
Italy became the most recent victim of Storm Boris on September 19 as torrential downpours induced severe flooding in and around the northern region of Emilia Romagna. The mayor of Ravenna, Michele De Pascale, described the situation as “a full emergency,” comparing it to the devastating flooding that occurred in May 2023. Storm Boris also caused flooding in regions of Austria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Poland earlier in the week, killing 24 before striking Italy.
Officials in Emilia Romagna evacuated more than 1,000 people from their homes, and two individuals are missing in Traversara after the roof they were standing on collapsed. While authorities have reported no deaths, emergency responders carried out more than 500 rescue operations. BBC reports that in cities like Faenza, the storm forced residents to abandon their homes in dinghies as the Samoggia and Lamone rivers began to overflow.
Anger and frustration in Emilia Romagna has risen, with citizens blaming their local governments for failing to invest in protective measures against flooding and other natural disasters. In the region, the destruction of homes and weakening of infrastructure Storm Boris caused is not uncommon. Northern Italy faced an even more disastrous situation in May 2023 when torrential rain and flooding killed 17 people and caused 8.5 billion euros worth of damage. Those who watched Storm Boris destroy their homes for the second time in two years say that politicians are doing “nothing” to address their concerns. However, Emilia Romagna’s acting president claims that her administration has carried out numerous construction projects since last year intended to reduce storm-related damages.
Italy is an established hotspot for disasters of this magnitude. This summer brought about storms, wildfires, flooding, drought, and extreme heat across the country. Politicians are facing mounting pressure to mitigate the damages caused by these events.
In the aftermath of Storm Boris, experts are turning to the bigger picture: the role of climate change in the increase of natural disasters. Researchers from the World Weather Attribution say that the rainfall from Storm Boris was the “heaviest ever recorded across Central Europe.” They further assert that human-induced global warming may have made the floods and heavy rainfall nearly twice as likely.
A warmer atmosphere causes large storms like Boris to stall in one place and produce greater amounts of rainfall. Experts assert that the frequency of these storms will increase not only in Europe but around the world as climate change worsens. Politicians face the ongoing challenge of creating policies to combat this phenomenon and prepare for more extreme weather conditions. Italy’s Angelo Bonelli, who leads left-wing party Alleanza Verdi e Sinistra, has called on Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to propose concrete solutions to Parliament in order to address these concerns.
Italy continues to face the aftermath of Storm Boris and manage the ongoing frustrations of its citizens. Meanwhile, government officials face the challenge of adequately preparing for the next disaster.