Powerful storms in Italy, floods sweep away vehicles and leave towns amid mud and ruins

Intensive rainfall and storms that hit Italy overnight caused major flooding, considerable material damage and danger for residents in several areas.

Among the most affected places was the island of Lipari, part of the Aeolian Islands archipelago in the province of Messina, as well as Melito Porto Salvo in the Reggio Calabria area.

In the port of Sottomonastero in Lipari, several vehicles were trapped by water. Meanwhile, city streets, including those in the center, were covered by mud and debris brought by the floods.

The Ponte and Valle streams overflowed their beds and carried various materials and waste toward the beaches and the sea. Firefighters were called to several locations, and they also intervened to rescue drivers isolated by the waters.

In Melito Porto Salvo, in the province of Reggio Calabria, the situation also worsened after a strong storm. Roads were flooded, while mud, debris and extensive damage were spread across the area.

Several cars ended up on the rocks near the sea, while the collapse of a wall and damage to several road routes made traffic difficult. Images published from the area reflect the force of the waters that swept through the streets after the heavy rainfall.

“We experienced a water bomb. Cars ended up in the sea and walls collapsed. We have no roads,” mayor Tito Nastasi told the Italian news agency ANSA.

Nastasi explained that the full extent of the damage had not yet been determined and announced that he had requested the declaration of a state of natural disaster for the municipality.

Following the situation, Civil Protection forces, firefighters and local police began checks in the affected areas to identify risks and monitor conditions.

The administration of Melito Porto Salvo asked residents to avoid unnecessary travel and to leave their homes only when essential. The appeal was linked to damaged roads, the presence of debris and the possibility of other hazards.

Problems were also reported in the province of Taranto, where strong winds knocked down some lighting structures set up for the celebrations of Saint Medici in the area of Sava. The structures fell on parked vehicles and caused material damage, but no one was injured.