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The tourist city of Venice, in the north-east of Italy, is accustomed to the phenomenon of high acqua, high tides that occur frequently in the lagoon of Venice between autumn and winter. However, this Monday, the sirocco wind and the storm that hit the Italian peninsula caused an exceptional high tide, leaving 75% of the city under water.
The water rose on October 29 to 156 centimeters at its peak, after which began to fall, reports the AP agency. According to municipal statistics, this is the highest level reached in Venice since December 2008.
High tide has completely flooded the main tourist attraction of the city, the Plaza de San Marcos, which occupies a very low position. Those who dared to go out had to put on high boots to walk around the area, where some were submerged almost to the waist.
The water even exceeded the elevated walkways that are normally placed in the flooded areas, forcing the authorities to remove them. In addition, the water transport system of the city, the famous "vaporetto", has also been temporarily suspended.
The images posted on the Internet show business owners and shops trying to protect their premises from flooding by means of extraction pumps and neighbors trying to draw water from their buildings with cubes.
What happened on Monday prompted local authorities to defend the need for the project called Moisés, which consists of creating a series of underwater gates designed to prevent flooding.
Its construction suffers from delays due to numerous cost overruns and scandals. The mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, has announced his intention to discuss with the Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte the urgency of this project.
However, the experts point out that the barriers of the Moisés project would not protect the Plaza de San Marcos from high tides.
The weather has wreaked havoc in several parts of Italy, where floods and high winds have killed at least six people.
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