ROME, Nov. 5 (UPI) -- Heavy rains in Italy's Tuscany region led to flooding, the collapse of river banks and the rescue of victims, with Rome seeing snarled traffic and downed trees.
Schools were closed in Rome, which expects to see as much as four and one-half inches of rain by Thursday. The highest-level weather warning, a red alert, was posted for western Italy, south to Sicily.
Boats and helicopters were used in the Tuscany and Liguria regions to rescue stranded residents, and evacuations were ordered in coastal areas. The Tuscan city of Carrara, halfway between Florence and Genoa, saw 200 meters (656 feet) of river bank collapsed into the Carrione River, and two people believed drowned were found.
The lagoon city of Venice was 15 percent flooded by "aqua alta," or high water. Tourists and residents wore rubber boots to travel the city. In Lombardy, the Po River rose over two meters (six and one-half feet) in 24 hours by midday Wednesday.
