Venice frequently floods when high winds push in water from the lagoon, but Monday’s levels were exceptional. The peak level was the highest reached since December 2008, according to Venice statistics.
The last time levels topped 160 centimeters, which had been forecast, was in December 1979.
Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said a series of underwater barriers being erected in the lagoon, nicknamed Moses, would have prevented the inundation. The project is long overdue, beset by cost overruns and corruption scandals.
Brugnaro said he had requested to speak with the Premier Giuseppe Conte to underline the urgency of the project, which would raise barriers when the tide reaches 43 inches. That happens on average four times a year.
> Read entire article 70 percent of Venice covered in water by flooding | Associated Press | Washington Post
Tourists walk in the flooded Riva degli Schiavoni during a high-water (Acqua Alta) alert in Venice on October 29, 2018. – The flooding, caused by a convergence of high tides and a strong Sirocco wind, reached around 150 centimetres on October 29, 2018 (Photo by Miguel MEDINA / AFP)MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP/Getty Images
People walk in the flooded Riva degli Schiavoni during a high-water (Acqua Alta) alert in Venice on October 29, 2018. – The flooding, caused by a convergence of high tides and a strong Sirocco wind, reached around 150 centimetres on October 29, 2018. (Photo by Miguel MEDINA / AFP)MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP/Getty Images
People walk in the flooded Riva degli Schiavoni in front of the San Giorgio church during a high-water (Acqua Alta) alert in Venice on October 29, 2018. – The flooding, caused by a convergence of high tides and a strong Sirocco wind, reached around 150 centimetres on October 29, 2018. (Photo by Miguel MEDINA / AFP)MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP/Getty Images
> View more pictures: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/high-water-alert-in-venice-1.3679627