Venice floods after experimental barrier system wasn't activated - Action News
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Venice floods after experimental barrier system wasn't activated

High tides flooded St. Mark's Square in Venice on Tuesday, propelled by winds that were stronger than predicted, and an experimental system of inflatable barriers wasn't activated to prevent water from invading the lagoon city.

Damage expected to compound woes for city struggling with lack of tourism amid pandemic

A person walks in flooded St. Mark's Square in Venice on Tuesday after flood barriers were not raised during high tide. (Manuel Silvestri/Reuters)

High tides flooded St. Mark's Square in Venice on Tuesday, propelled by winds that were stronger than predicted, and an experimental system of inflatable barriers wasn't activated to prevent water from invading the lagoon city.

The system, while still in an experimental phase, gets activated when high tides are predicted to reach at least 1.3 metres. Tuesday's tide was predicted to reach 1.25 metres. Instead, it kept rising, to a height of 1.38 metres, in late afternoon.

'Unfortunately, the weather is freer than us. It does what it wants,' Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said. (Andrea Pattaro/AFP/Getty Images)

Some shops were flooded, and Venetians waded in water as they scrambled to set out raised walkways. Damage to shops and other business was destined to compound the suffering already sharply felt in Venice's economy by tourism largely washed away by the pandemic.

"Unfortunately, the weather is freer than us. It does what it wants," Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said ruefully, referring to the stronger-than-expected winds that whipped across the Adriatic Sea from Croatia's coastline.

Workers set up raised walkways after Tuesday's flooding. (Manuel Silvestri/Reuters)

In July, Venice successfully carried out a trial run of the ambitious anti-flood system, which consists of 78 barriers that can be inflated when needed to rise from the sea. The system is dubbed Moses after the Biblical figure, who, in the Old Testament account, parted the waters of the Red Sea.

Just over a year ago, Venice experienced its worst flooding in more than 50 years when the water reached 1.87 metresin the city. The new movable barrier system is designed to protect the city from tides as high as three meters.

People wade through the floodwaters near the Rialto Bridge. (Manuel Silvestri/Reuters)

A tide of 1.2metres was predicted for Wednesday, and workers were arriving to prepare to activate the barrier system hours before then, the mayor said.

"We're working to activate Moses tonight in view of the peak prediction for tomorrow [Wednesday]," Brugnaro said. The barriers would likely be activated shortly after midnight, he said.

People walk along the raised walkways following the flooding of St. Mark's Square. (Manuel Silvestri/Reuters)

Noting that the system was still in the experimental stage, the mayor said "more rapid protocols" to activate it were needed, in view of Tuesday's flooding.

Damage to shops and other business was destined to compound the suffering already sharply felt in Venice's economy by a drop in tourism due to the pandemic. (Manuel Silvestri/Reuters)