FLOOD SCENES IN PRIMA PORTA, ROME, AND IN THE PO VALLEY.




Initials RM/V/JH/BB



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: TORRENTIAL RAIN IN NORTHERN ITALY HAS BROUGHT WIDESPREAD FLOODING AND FEARS OF A REPETITION OF LAST MONTH'S FLOOD DISASTER IN WHICH AT LEAST 113 PEOPLE PERISHED. IN ROME'S NORTHERN SUBURB OF PRIMA PORTA, 400 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN EVACUATED AFTER THE OVERFLOWING OF A TRIBUTARY OF THE TIBER, WHILE THE WORST RENEWED FLOODING HAS BEEN IN THE PO VALLEY DELTA.

THE RAIN THAT LASHED ROME WAS PARTICULARLY VIOLENT. AS THE WATER IN THE PRIMA PORTA SUBURB BEGAN TO RISE, FAMILIES WHOSE HOUSES WERE PARTICULARLY THREATENED WERE EVACUATED. PEOPLE WERE ALSO EVACUATED FROM THEIR HOMES IN THE PO DELTA ON MONDAY AS WORKERS RACED TO BOLSTER SEA DYKES WEAKENED BY LAST MONTH'S FLOODS. THE DYKES WERE FURTHER WEAKENED BY POUNDING SEAS AND HIGH WINDS.

THE ITALIAN FLOODS, WHICH DEVASTATED ONE-THIRD OF THE COUNTRY, HAVE BEEN DESCRIBED AS THE WORST IN ITALIAN HISTORY. THE GOVERNMENT HAS COME UNDER HEAVY ATTACK IN ITALY FOR AN ALLEGED LACK OF READINESS TO DEAL WITH SUCH DISASTERS AND FOR BEING SLOW IN RESPONDING WITH AID. THE GOVERNMENT HAS INCREASED ALL DIRECT INCOME TAXES BY 10 PER CENT TO PAY FOR RECOVERY WORK AND AID.