Roads transformed into rivers, subway stations flooded with water, trees felled and motorists forced to climb onto the roofs of their cars to save themselves. This is the result of the storm that hit Rome and various areas of Lazio between the evening of Wednesday 7th and the morning of Thursday 8th October, causing flooding and heavy traffic disruption.
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According to the provincial fire brigade command, around 120 interventions were carried out between 8pm on Wednesday and 8am on Thursday morning. The requests for help mainly concerned fallen trees and branches, telephone poles knocked down by the wind and water infiltrations into homes.
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Trapped motorists climb onto the roof of the car to save themselves
Among the most critical episodes was the one that occurred on the morning of 8 October along Via Pratica di Mare, at kilometer 6, where two people were trapped in their car due to the water that had invaded the road. The two suddenly found themselves blocked by a real stream. Unable to continue, they were forced to climb onto the roof of the car and call for help. The Fire Brigade, 118 personnel and the Local Police of the IX Eur Group intervened on site. The two motorists were made safe without serious consequences.
A similar scene had already occurred on the evening of October 7 on viale Palmiro Togliatti, where a man was left stuck with his car in a completely flooded street. To escape the water he climbed onto the bonnet of the vehicle to wait for help.
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Metro A flooded: inconveniences in Cinecittà, Termini and Manzoni
Numerous inconveniences were also recorded along the A line of the subway, where water poured onto the access stairways to some stations.
In Cinecittà commuters found themselves faced with stairs transformed into waterfalls, while in Termini flooding was also reported on a platform. Particularly important problems at the Manzoni station, affected by flooding which caused its closure.
The wind knocked down trees and large branches in several neighborhoods, from the northern area of the capital to EUR. In the historic center, particularly in the Trident area, the rain also dragged bags of waste along the streets, further complicating circulation.
Yellow weather warning
The storms also affected the province of Rome and various locations on the Lazio coast, from Guidonia Montecelio to Tarquinia, up to the Pontine territory, requiring numerous interventions by the Fire Brigade.
A yellow alert has been issued for Thursday 8 October for thunderstorms and hydrogeological criticalities in various areas of Lazio. In Rome, the activation of the Municipal Operations Center (COC) to coordinate interventions was also reported. What happened brings attention to the vulnerability of cities to particularly intense rainfall. Excessive soil sealing, drainage difficulties and infrastructure maintenance can help turn a severe storm into an emergency.
