Venice Flooded By The Highest Tides In 50 Years

Daily Mail: Venice suffers hundreds of millions of pounds of damage in 'apocalyptic' flood: Mayor blames climate change after water levels in the city rise to their second-highest EVER

* St Mark's Square in Venice was submerged by more than three feet of water and the basilica there flooded
* Venice officials said the tide had peaked at nearly 6ft 2in last night, only inches short of the record set in 1966
* One man in his 70s was electrocuted when water entered his home and a second fatality was also reported
* The governor of the Veneto region said Venice was facing 'total, apocalyptic devastation' after the flooding
* Today there was anger among shopkeepers over a barrier protection system delayed by costs and corruption

The mayor of Venice says the city has suffered damage 'in the hundreds of millions' of pounds after 'apocalyptic' floods which he today blamed on climate change.

The city's historic Saint Mark's Basilica has 'suffered irreparable damage, especially in the lower section of the mosaics and tiling,' Venice Archbishop Francesco Moraglia told a news conference.

The church was flooded for just the sixth time in 1,200 years while the adjacent St Mark's Square was submerged by more than three feet of water - so deep that one man even swam across it.

The floods have also brought misery to tourists and local residents - stranding boats, battering shops and hotels and and leaving many of the city's squares and alleyways deep underwater.

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WNU Editor: This is the sixth time that the city's historic Saint Mark's Basilica has been flooded in 1,200 years, and the second worst recorded flood since 1966. Visited the city three times in my life, and I was always amazed on the delicate balance that the city must have with it's surrounding water.

More News On Venice Being Flooded With The Highest Tides In Fifty Years

Venice ‘on its knees’ after second-worst flood ever recorded -- AP
Venice flooded by highest tide in 50 years -- France 24
'An apocalypse happened': Venice counts cost of devastating floods -- The Guardian
Venice floods: Climate change behind highest tide in 50 years, says mayor -- BBC
Italy: Venice floods cause mayor to declare a state of emergency -- DW
Venice's mayor blames climate change for devastating second-highest flood in city's history -- ABC News Online
Venice's cultural institutions hit hard by floods -- DW
Italy's Venice flooded by highest tide in 50 years -- Al Jazeera