Record-breaking rain caused devastating floods in Italy's Tuscany region as Storm Ciarán made its way into the country, leaving at least five people dead and trapping residents in their homes. Italian Civil Protection authorities reported that an unprecedented 200 millimeters (nearly 8 inches) of rain fell in just three hours, causing riverbanks to overflow and inundating hospitals. Video footage showed cars being swept away on flooded roads.

We had a flood in Tuscany, Italy.
It's not the first time, and it won't be the last.
Some politicians and journalists are blaming the floods on climate change.
In my opinion, this is an activity of misinformation and lack of respect towards the affected population and the… pic.twitter.com/VyysP3Zr1g

— Cristina Dragani (@CristinaDragani) November 3, 2023

Tuscany Governor Eugenio Giani described the rainfall as a "wave of water bombs without precedence" and expressed shock at the magnitude of the flooding. Among the casualties were an 85-year-old man found in his flooded home and an 84-year-old woman who drowned while trying to remove water from her house. At least three people were reported missing in Tuscany, with one person missing in the mountains of Veneto.

Authorities issued warnings for other regions and alerted residents that the storm was heading towards southern Italy. The storm named Ciarán claimed a total of 12 lives as it swept through Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. Homes were damaged, transportation networks were disrupted, and power outages affected numerous people. In Tuscany, the storm flooded hospitals in Pisa and Mugello and caused disruptions to train lines, highways, and schools. Hundreds of people were unable to return home, and around 40,000 residents were left without electricity.

The city of Prato, one of the worst-hit areas, experienced significant destruction overnight. However, Mayor Matteo Biffoni reassured residents that efforts were already being made to clean up and restore the city. Florence Mayor Dario Nardella warned that the Arno River, running through the center of the city, had reached the first level of alert, with the highest levels expected at midday. The fear of a repeat of the devastating 1966 flood added to the psychological distress. The impact of storms like Ciarán is said to be exacerbated by human-induced climate change, which has led to heavier rainfall during extreme weather events. Climate scientists have sounded the alarm that these storms are causing more severe damage and have called for urgent action on climate change mitigation.

Meanwhile, other countries in Europe also experienced the wrath of Ciarán. Austria's southern Carinthia province faced landslides, blocked roads, and power cuts due to heavy rain and strong winds. In northern France and on the Atlantic coast, heavy rains persisted as emergency workers continued to clear debris. Corsica in the Mediterranean experienced unusually fierce winds, while flood warnings were in effect for regions in the Pyrenees in the southwest.

Over half a million households in France remained without electricity, and transportation services were disrupted. French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne visited the storm-ravaged areas in Brittany and Normandy, respectively, to assess the extent of the damage and provide assistance to affected communities. The devastating effects of Storm Ciarán serve as a stark reminder of the urgent need to address climate change and its consequences.