How long before venice sinks




















But the frequency and severity of flooding has increased markedly since the middle of the 20th century. Between and there were eight highest-category floods recorded — more than in the preceding 50 years. This phenomenon is not explained by subsidence or any rise in sea level. One factor has been the reclamation of large areas of land, for Marco Polo airport and the industrial sites of Marghera, and in central Venice itself — notably around the docks and the Tronchetto car parks.

The marshes and mudflats of the lagoon play a crucial role in dissipating the energy of the incoming water, so their reduction has led to an increase in the destructiveness of the tides. Even worse has been the impact of shipping.

When the refineries and factories of Marghera were developed in the interwar years, deep channels were carved out of the lagoon bed to allow tankers to get into the port.

All over the city, foundations are being scoured out by the quick-flowing tides. Most buildings in Venice are built on wooden pilings driven deep into the mudbanks. In the biggest ships were banned from the Giudecca canal. This was widely hailed as good news, but there was an under-reported catch: the ruling applied only to vessels of more than 95, tonnes.

To put this in perspective, the Titanic was nowhere near that size. People throughout the city waded through the flood waters. A number of businesses were affected. Chairs and tables were seen floating outside cafes and restaurants.

In shops, workers tried to move their stock away from the water to prevent any further damage. One shopkeeper, who was not named, told Italy's public broadcaster Rai: "The city is on its knees. Three waterbuses sank, but tourists continued their sightseeing as best they could. One French couple told AFP news agency that they had "effectively swum" after some of the wooden platforms placed around the city in areas prone to flooding overturned.

On Wednesday morning, a number of boats were seen stranded. A project to protect the city from flooding has been under way since but has been hit by soaring costs, scandals and delays. The so-called Mose project - a series of large barriers or floodgates that would be raised from the seabed to shut off the lagoon in the event of rising sea levels and winter storms - was successfully tested for the first time in The project has already cost billions of euros in investment. According to Italy's infrastructure ministry, the flood barriers will be handed over to the Venice city council at the end of following the "final phase" of testing.

Italy was hit by heavy rainfall on Tuesday with further bad weather forecast in the coming days. Venice suffers flooding on a yearly basis. Venice is actually made up of separate islands, which sit within the Venetian Lagoon.

This extra water seeps onto the main island and causes Venice to flood. In some of the city, the water levels were as deep as even five feet. And to top it all off, Venice sinks because the city was built upon weak foundations.

Sitting on shifting tectonic plates, Venice essentially tilts to the East. Experts have measured that on average, Venice sinks about two millimeters every year. Though the Venice flooding may seem daunting to most, the city and its residents are always able to adapt to the weather obstacles.

Primarily, Venice implements raised walkways. These walkways are placed all through St. When the seawater rises above a certain level, the gates will rise and shut out the Adriatic.

The first gates are already installed but, in good Italian fashion, corruption and scandal have surrounded the project. Combined with technical challenges, the completion date continues to get pushed into the future — the lastest estimate is You can learn more about the project on the MOSE website. Gene Openshaw is the co-author of the Rick Steves Venice guidebook. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Share. Venice continues to rise just above its lagoon, as it has for centuries — but will it stay afloat as waters rise?

When the tide is too high, tourists cross St. Mark's Square on wooden platforms. For all the inconvenience it causes, flooding does give St.



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