Recently, Emilia Romagna in Italy has been facing extreme weather conditions. Home to a flourishing food sector, tourists often visit the Adriatic “Rivera,” a crowded and active seaside area in Italy.
According to the Italian Heritage, this region is also Italy’s first producer of wheat, sugar beets, and fruit. It is also the second producer of crops like soybeans and barley.
However, CNN reports that from May 2nd to the 3rd, the rain was abundant for two weeks. The amount was equivalent to a time of six months. Afterward, on May 16th, another six months' worth of rain fell in only 36 hours.
Previously, fractured, the dry earth, fighting with a drought, was readily destroyed by the water.
Moreover, in Italy Magazine, the provinces that were hit the hardest were Faenza, Ravenna, and Cesena. Bologna and other cities around the sea coast have been affected as well.
The orchards, vineyards, and crops ready to be plucked were all swept away in the flood. Thousands of farms are submerged while livestock has either passed or is at risk of starving.
The farming organization in Emilia, known as the Cofragicoltura, estimates that the damages amount to 6,5000 in American dollars per hectare. This amount is for cultivable crops like wheat, barley, corn, sunflowers, alfalfa, and other seed crops.
Damages to the fruit orchards, vineyards, and olive groves are more costly, amounting to €32,000.
Even crops that were harvested earlier are in jeopardy. The water from the floods is entering warehouses, wetting the grains inside.
The agriculture organization states that over 5,000 farms with greenhouses/nurseries, stables, and barns are flooded. But, that does not take into account the destruction of the farms and communities caused by the landslides.
Towns on hilltops are safe from floods, but the situation is worsening with days without food, water, or electricity.
As stated in the Atlantic, the floods and landslides killed around 15 people, while more than 40,000 people were extracted from their homes.
The Italian Red Cross has assisted at the front lines with approximately 300 volunteers.
Chefs in Tuscany also send aid by joining a campaign known as Il cuore oltre l’Appennino, organized by Il Forchettiere, a media company. Florentine Net states that 50 restaurants have signed up. These dishes feature an ingredient from Emilia-Romagna, and a percentage of each meal sold will be donated to the region’s civil protection service.
Finally, media company Monrif made a campaign where the money would be sent to the regional government and Emilia Romagna's civil protection service association. Donations can also be made internationally by making a bank transfer to IBAN IT23 M 05387 02411 000003844487 and BIC/Swift BPMOIT22XXX with the words “Editoriale Nazionale Srl – Un aiuto per l’Emilia Romagna.”
The effects of the floods and landslides are still impacting the people of Emilia-Romagna. While there are a lot of damages to consider, they will definitely be able to make a swift recovery with the aid of various people and organizations.
Share This Post On
0 comments
Leave a comment
You need to login to leave a comment. Log-in
