Floods to hit Italy as EU countries seek help amid Storm Boris carnage

Weather alerts have been issued across Italy as Storm Boris moved southwards after devastating parts of central Europe.

The highest rainfall is expected to hit the northern regions of Emilia-Romagna and Marche. Emilia-Romagna was hit by devastating flooding in May 2023, inundating homes and businesses and forcing the cancellation of a Formula 1 Grand Prix at the region's Imola circuit.

Forecasters predicted 110 millimeters (mm) of rain in Marche and 90 mm in Romagna over a 24-hour period, starting on Wednesday.

In Pescara, a city on the eastern coast of Italy, local emergency services received hundreds of requests for assistance on Tuesday alone. Videos posted online showed torrents of water flowing downhill, as cars tried to keep moving through flooded streets.

Meanwhile in the southern area of Foggia, the body of a firefighter was found on Wednesday after his car was washed away in flash floods the day before.

"We are united in grief for the death of the @vigilidelfuoco department head who was overwhelmed during an intervention due to bad weather in the Foggia area…we offer our condolences to the family," Italy's Department for Civil Protection said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Trail of destruction in central Europe

Storm Boris has left a trail of destruction behind in central Europe, killing at least 22 people.

Even though heavy rains seen earlier in the week have now eased off, some rivers in the region are still rising fast. In the historic city of Wroclaw in Poland, local officials and residents have been trying to reinforce flood barriers with sandbags.

Flood warnings have also been issued along the River Danube in Hungary. In the capital Budapest, Margaret Island, popular with tourists, has been closed as local authorities fear the Danube could rise to near record-breaking levels.

EU members request assistance

As governments across the region respond to the disaster, the European Union is already receiving requests for extra assistance.

"In addition to us having provided high quality satellite images using our Copernicus satellite system to essentially all the countries affected by this terrible flooding situation, now the Czech Republic also activated the EU Civil Protection mechanism, asking for dehumidifiers in particular," said Balazs Ujvari, a European Commission spokesperson, at a press briefing in Brussels on Wednesday.

"We remain at the disposal of all the other countries affected. Should we receive additional requests, of course we will also look at those in a very rapid fashion," he added.

Under the Civil Protection Mechanism, EU member states can request assistance to respond to natural disasters, including special firefighting planes and search and rescue teams.

Subscribe to Storyboard: A weekly newsletter bringing you the best of CGTN every Friday