Venice is experiencing its worst flooding in a decade, which has left at least 11 people dead. Floods are not unusual in the city, however the severity this year is. Referred to as acqua alta, ‘high water’, by locals, floods in the area are caused by high tides in the northern Adriatic Sea, which reach their peak in the Venetian Lagoon and cause partial flooding of Venice.
Despite this, many tourists visiting the city seemed unperturbed by the flooding and continued wading through the waters to explore until it became impossible to do so. Raised walkways have been laid out in sections of the city and on Monday 29 October, St Mark’s Square was closed as the waters reached 156cm, the fourth highest level ever recorded in the city.
An initiative to install underwater flood barriers called the Moses Project was started in 2003, however despite reports that it is 92% complete, there have been delays due to the high construction cost. These barriers would help protect the city’s historic buildings from saltwater damage.
Here are some photos from this week’s floods shared on Instagram.
Also read: Swimming in Italy: Salento’s secret swimming spots
