Acqua Alta (tidal flooding) won’t be the major problem for Venetian and challenge for visitors, it appears, as Venice’s deployable barrier is now mostly in place and has proved itself twice, according to Smithsonian magazine.
On October 3, Venice’s new barrier system protected the city for the first time from high tides and severe flooding by blocking the water from surging into the lagoon and over the island. But last Thursday, the barriers once again shielded Venice from a 4.6-foot tide that could have flooded half the city, reports Angela Giuffrida for
The Guardian.
Last year,
Venice declared a state of emergency when it experienced its worst floods in 50 years. The flooding caused more than $1 billion in damage, and parts of the city were left under six feet of water, including St. Mark’s Basilica, a nearly thousand-year old cathedral. This time, the high tide could have wreaked havoc on the small island, but the barrier system of 78 floodgates—known as Mose—successfully kept Venice’s winding alleyways and historic squares clear. Instead of flooding, the tide within the lagoon only rose by 1.7 feet, reports
Reuters.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart...oods-180976087