Venice set to raise mobile dyke as swollen rivers flood towns in northern Italy

This aerial photo provided by the Italian Firefighters shows firefighters show flooded houses in Cesena, in the northern Italian region of Emilia Romagna Tuesday, May 16, 2023. Unusually heavy rains have caused major floodings in Emilia Romagna, where trains were stopped and schools were closed in many towns while people were asked to leave the ground floors of their homes and to avoid going out. (Vigili del Fuoco via AP)

Rivers swollen by days of downpours have flooded some towns in northern Italy, forcing residents on to rooftops, while in Venice, authorities are preparing to activate a mobile barrier in the lagoon in hopes of sparing the city from a rare May high-tide flooding.

After the Savio River overflowed its banks in the town of Cesena, in the heart of the Emilia-Romagna region, some residents of heavily flooded streets took to rooftops to await rescue by helicopters.