Rising floodwaters trapped motorists inside their vehicles on November 13 as an intense weather system battered the province of Arezzo, generating roughly 70 rescue operations for firefighters within a 24-hour window, tg24.sky.it reported.
The severe perturbation triggered widespread flooding, water infiltration, downed trees, and landslides across the region. The most severe emergencies concentrated around Sansepolcro, Anghiari, and the La Chiassa-Tregozzano locality in Arezzo, according to tg24.sky.it.
Rescue crews from the Arezzo provincial command, the Bibbiena detachment, and volunteer units from Sansepolcro and Pratovecchio worked through the night. Firefighters extracted residents trapped by floodwaters in residential areas including San Leo in Anghiari and Montagna in Sansepolcro.
Ariel Evacuations in Sansepolcro
The Drago fire helicopter deployed on the morning of November 13 to reach isolated homes in the Il Palazzo locality of Sansepolcro. The aircraft airlifted two residents out of buildings cut off by impassable roads, tg24.sky.it reported.
Ground crews utilized four-wheel-drive vehicles to reach four additional people stranded in La Montagna, including one resident with mobility impairments. Adverse weather conditions prevented the helicopter from landing at that specific site.
Road closures multiplied across the province due to active landslides and debris. Among the affected routes are the municipal access road to La Montagna, the Strada Statale Marecchiese in Sansepolcro, and Provincial Road 77 in Anghiari, tg24.sky.it reported. Civil protection volunteers, municipal union operators, and local administrations collaborated on the ground to support the population and manage the emergency response.
Widespread Central Italian Weather Alerts
The National Civil Protection Department issued an orange weather alert for Tuscany, Liguria, Emilia-Romagna, Umbria, and Lazio, while yellow alerts covered several other regions including Friuli Venezia Giulia, Calabria, and Campania, corriere.it reported.
Yellow alerts also covered the entire territory of Marche, Abruzzo, Molise, and Campania, alongside parts of Basilicata. The worsening conditions stemmed from the remnants of cyclone Charles, which merged with the Bruna depression over Spain before moving east and slowing down directly over Italy, according to RAI Meteo.
Tuscan President Eugenio Giani said that regional civil protection systems remained fully alerted and coordinated with local authorities to manage potential flood risks. Sustained rains pushed river levels upward, with the Arno river placed under close observation.
Heavy precipitation brought measurable impacts elsewhere in central Italy, including a downed tree in Rome and cumulative rainfall surpassing 90 millimeters in the Apennines of Marche, 3BMeteo reported. In Umbria, the regional civil protection agency recorded river levels exceeding orange thresholds along the Tiber River at Santa Lucia, prompting activation of municipal operations centers in Citerna due to localized flooding, ANSA reported.
River Levels Rise and Rainfall Totals Increase Across Regions
North-central river levels remained high, with Emilia’s Secchia, Panaro, Reno, and Santerno rivers exceeding orange thresholds as flood crests moved further downstream, 3BMeteo reported. In Tuscany, precipitation totals reached 650 millimeters at Monte Gomito in Abetone since the event began, while the Brana and Serchio rivers swelled into full flood, forcing the closure of roads and bridges alongside evacuations, overflows, and flooding between Pistoia and the Pisan territory.
Northern and southern sectors recorded average rainfall totals of 15 to 30 millimeters over the preceding 12 hours, with lower totals observed in central areas and around Lake Trasimeno, according to regional civil protection data.
Which Umbrian Rivers Exceeded Safety Thresholds and Temperature Drops
Which specific Umbrian rivers exceeded safety thresholds during the storm?
The Tiber River surpassed the orange threshold at the Santa Lucia section, while yellow thresholds were exceeded at Pierantonio on the Tiber, Lupo on the Cerfone, and Pistrino on the Sovara, according to the Umbria regional civil protection agency reported by ANSA.
How many rescue calls did firefighters handle in Arezzo?
Firefighters responded to approximately 70 calls for assistance over a 24-hour period to combat flooding, landslides, and stranded motorists, tg24.sky.it reported.