Standing outside her home under moody skies in Ronta, a hamlet in the Forlì-Cesena area of Emilia-Romagna, Ivana Casadei considers herself one of the lucky ones. Maraldi’s husband, Sauro Manuzzi, also died, reportedly as they tried to save their farm animals, leaving behind their only daughter. The floods were preceded by a drought that had dried out the land, reducing its capacity to absorb water. More than 305 landslides were caused by the latest floods, which in turn either damaged or closed off 500 roads. Weather-related disasters have been on the rise in Italy, a country deemed particularly vulnerable to the climate crisis.

Source: The Guardian May 22, 2023 03:16 UTC