Venice in State of Emergency

Italy has declared a state of emergency after Venice was engulfed by 1.87m (6ft) high water levels. This was the second highest "acqua alta" since records began in 1933. More than 80% of the city, a Unesco world heritage site, was under water, damaging monuments, shops and homes. The mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, blamed climate change for the highest water levels in 50 years. The lowest parts of the city, like St Mark's Square, were the worst hit.

The city is made up of more than 100 islands inside a lagoon off the north-east coast of Italy. It suffers flooding on a yearly basis. An 80cm tide floods St Mark's Square, and a 1,40m tide floods 59% of the city. The actual flooding was caused by a combination of high spring tides and a storm surge driven by strong winds.

Over the centuries, Venice has diverted rivers and extended barrier islands, trying to protect the lagoon. The Mose flood defence project, initiated in 2003 and once forecast to finish in 2011, is not expected to be operational until the end of 2021. It is a massive project of floodgates that could be raised from the sea during high tide, sealing off the lagoon. Some experts say that by the time the project is finished, the gates will need to be permanently raised due to the predicted sea levels rise, creating other problems such as sewage, algae growth and microbiological pollution.

The city has started evaluating the damage, predicted to reach hundreds of millions of euros, even though the flooding is not over yet. Today, the flooded city has been engulfed by a new high tide of 1.54m (5ft). Schools are closed, museums are closed, and the famous waterbuses are not running. Residents with flood-damaged homes will get up to 5,000 euros, and businesses up to 20,000 euros in compensation.