2011 European floods
Encyclopedia
The 2011 floods in Europe
, caused by low-pressure area, occurred in late October–early November in France
, Italy
and Ireland
. In Italy the river Po rose 4 m (13 feet) in Turin
and a number of people (including two children) died in Genoa
. A state of emergency
in the Italian regions
of Liguria
and Tuscany
was declared after floods killed 10 people on October 27, causing mudslides. In Ireland, a state of emergency was declared in Dublin three days before.
The same low-pressure area also induced heavy rain and flooding in parts of North Africa
.
declared a major emergency. Dundrum Town Centre
in Dublin, one of Europe's biggest shopping centres, was evacuated shortly before 8pm on 24 October 2011 after floodwaters surged through the doors, destroying most stores. The owner of a Mexican restaurant in the complex said five-feet of water had rushed down steps towards his business, causing thousands of euro worth of damage. Roads around County Dublin
and County Wicklow
remained shut the following day.
Two deaths were reported in the country during October. A 58-year-old Filipino care worker, who had recently become an Irish citizen, drowned in her basement flat on Parnell Road, Harold's Cross, Dublin. She had only recently moved into the flat. Her body was discovered after emergency services pumped the water out. The other death was a member of the Garda Síochána
who was swept into the River Liffey
at Ballysmuttan Bridge in Manor Kilbride, County Wicklow
. Taoiseach
Enda Kenny
and Tánaiste
Eamon Gilmore
paid tribute to the dead.
Monaghan
town centre was reported to be "impassable". Houses in Ballybay
, County Monaghan
, were evacuated due to a collapse.
Roads in Carlow
, Cavan
, Louth and Kilkenny
were impassable. The Sally Gap and the Wicklow Gap were badly hit. The Slea Head
Road in County Kerry
was shut down after it flooded. Motorists abandoned their vehicles and fled from the floods.
In Northern Ireland, 18 people, including two children, were rescued by boat in Beragh
, County Tyrone
, with a new £1 million GAA
centre sustaining damage. Newry
, Omagh
and Strabane
were also badly hit.
According to Met Éireann
, a rainfall of up to 85mm (3.3 inches), equal to an average month's norm, fell across the Dublin area within three hours. There was record rainfall at Casement Aerodrome
.
sustained flash flood
s that erupted when 356 millimetres of rain have fell in six hours on November 4. About six people have died. The receding waters in that city revealed heaps of overturned cars, furniture and mud dispersed across the streets. Several people have been reported missing in the city. According to Genoa mayor Marta Vicenzi, the floods constituted "a completely unexpected tragedy". Near Pozzuoli
, a tree fell on a car, killing the driver. A bridge across the Pellice stream in the countryside collapsed due to rushing waters with no reported injuries. Flooding also occurred in Venice
. The muddy water reached Cinque Terre
, while the ports of Vernazza
and Monterosso were swamped by hundreds of tonnes of debris and mud.
The Serie A
matches between Napoli
and Juventus
, as well as between Genoa
and Inter Milan
, were postponed. An investigation was opened in the country into whether floods were the fault of official negligence and illegal building.
, Roquebrune
and Tourves
. The preliminary damage from floods in the south of France throughout one week has been estimated at between €
550 million and €800 million. About 7,500 homes in the departments of Var and Alpes-Maritimes
lost internet or phone service on November 6–7.
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, caused by low-pressure area, occurred in late October–early November in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. In Italy the river Po rose 4 m (13 feet) in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
and a number of people (including two children) died in Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
. A state of emergency
State of emergency
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...
in the Italian regions
Regions of Italy
The regions of Italy are the first-level administrative divisions of the state, constituting its first NUTS administrative level. There are twenty regions, of which five are constitutionally given a broader amount of autonomy granted by special statutes....
of Liguria
Liguria
Liguria is a coastal region of north-western Italy, the third smallest of the Italian regions. Its capital is Genoa. It is a popular region with tourists for its beautiful beaches, picturesque little towns, and good food.-Geography:...
and Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
was declared after floods killed 10 people on October 27, causing mudslides. In Ireland, a state of emergency was declared in Dublin three days before.
The same low-pressure area also induced heavy rain and flooding in parts of North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
.
Ireland
Thousands of homes and businesses were destroyed during sudden flash floods around the country. Dublin City CouncilDublin City Council
Dublin City Council is the local authority for the city of Dublin in Ireland. It has 52 members and is the largest local authority in Ireland. Until 2001, it was known as Dublin Corporation.-Legal status:...
declared a major emergency. Dundrum Town Centre
Dundrum Town Centre
"Dundrum Town Centre" is the name of a shopping centre located in Dundrum, in Dublin, in Ireland. It is Ireland's largest shopping centre with over 160 tenants, more than 80,000 square metres of floor space and over 3,400 car parking spaces...
in Dublin, one of Europe's biggest shopping centres, was evacuated shortly before 8pm on 24 October 2011 after floodwaters surged through the doors, destroying most stores. The owner of a Mexican restaurant in the complex said five-feet of water had rushed down steps towards his business, causing thousands of euro worth of damage. Roads around County Dublin
County Dublin
County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...
and County Wicklow
County Wicklow
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...
remained shut the following day.
Two deaths were reported in the country during October. A 58-year-old Filipino care worker, who had recently become an Irish citizen, drowned in her basement flat on Parnell Road, Harold's Cross, Dublin. She had only recently moved into the flat. Her body was discovered after emergency services pumped the water out. The other death was a member of the Garda Síochána
Garda Síochána
, more commonly referred to as the Gardaí , is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.- Terminology :...
who was swept into the River Liffey
River Liffey
The Liffey is a river in Ireland, which flows through the centre of Dublin. Its major tributaries include the River Dodder, the River Poddle and the River Camac. The river supplies much of Dublin's water, and a range of recreational opportunities.-Name:The river was previously named An Ruirthech,...
at Ballysmuttan Bridge in Manor Kilbride, County Wicklow
County Wicklow
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...
. Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
Enda Kenny
Enda Kenny
Enda Kenny is an Irish Fine Gael politician, and has been the Taoiseach since 2011. He has led Fine Gael since 2002. He served as Minister for Tourism and Trade from 1994 to 1997. He is also a two-term Vice President of the European People's Party.Kenny has been a Teachta Dála for Mayo since...
and Tánaiste
Tánaiste
The Tánaiste is the deputy prime minister of Ireland. The current Tánaiste is Eamon Gilmore, TD who was appointed on 9 March 2011.- Origins and etymology :...
Eamon Gilmore
Eamon Gilmore
Eamon Gilmore is an Irish Labour Party politician and the current Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. He has been the Leader of the Labour Party since September 2007, and a Teachta Dála for the Dún Laoghaire constituency since 1989, first with the Workers' Party of Ireland, and...
paid tribute to the dead.
Monaghan
Monaghan
Monaghan is the county town of County Monaghan in Ireland. Its population at the 2006 census stood at 7,811 . The town is located on the main road, the N2 road, from Dublin north to both Derry and Letterkenny.-Toponym:...
town centre was reported to be "impassable". Houses in Ballybay
Ballybay
Ballybay, County Monaghan is a town in County Monaghan in Ireland, centered on the crossroads of the R183 and R162 regional roads. The name in English means "The Mouth of the Ford of the Birches".- Town layout :...
, County Monaghan
County Monaghan
County Monaghan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Monaghan. Monaghan County Council is the local authority for the county...
, were evacuated due to a collapse.
Roads in Carlow
Carlow
Carlow is the county town of County Carlow in Ireland. It is situated in the south-east of Ireland, 84 km from Dublin. County Carlow is the second smallest county in Ireland by area, however Carlow Town is the 14th largest urban area in Ireland by population according to the 2006 census. The...
, Cavan
Cavan
Cavan is the county town of County Cavan in the Republic of Ireland. The town lies in the north central part of Ireland, near the border with Northern Ireland...
, Louth and Kilkenny
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
were impassable. The Sally Gap and the Wicklow Gap were badly hit. The Slea Head
Slea Head
Slea Head is a promontory in the westernmost part of the Dingle Peninsula, located in the barony of Corca Dhuibhne in southwest...
Road in County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
was shut down after it flooded. Motorists abandoned their vehicles and fled from the floods.
In Northern Ireland, 18 people, including two children, were rescued by boat in Beragh
Beragh
Beragh is a village and townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is about east of Omagh. The 2001 Census recorded a population of 520.-History:One of the first known references to the village was on a 1690 Plantation map of Ireland...
, County Tyrone
County Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
, with a new £1 million GAA
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
centre sustaining damage. Newry
Newry
Newry is a city in Northern Ireland. The River Clanrye, which runs through the city, formed the historic border between County Armagh and County Down. It is from Belfast and from Dublin. Newry had a population of 27,433 at the 2001 Census, while Newry and Mourne Council Area had a population...
, Omagh
Omagh
Omagh is the county town of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is situated where the rivers Drumragh and Camowen meet to form the Strule. The town, which is the largest in the county, had a population of 19,910 at the 2001 Census. Omagh also contains the headquarters of Omagh District Council and...
and Strabane
Strabane
Strabane , historically spelt Straban,is a town in west County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It contains the headquarters of Strabane District Council....
were also badly hit.
According to Met Éireann
Met Éireann
Met Éireann is the national meteorological service in Ireland, part of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.-History:...
, a rainfall of up to 85mm (3.3 inches), equal to an average month's norm, fell across the Dublin area within three hours. There was record rainfall at Casement Aerodrome
Casement Aerodrome
Casement Aerodrome or Baldonnel Aerodrome is a military airbase to the south west of Dublin, Ireland situated off the N7 main road route to the south and south west. It is the headquarters and the sole base of the Irish Air Corps, and is also used for other government purposes...
.
Italy
The city of GenoaGenoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
sustained flash flood
Flash flood
A flash flood is a rapid flooding of geomorphic low-lying areas—washes, rivers, dry lakes and basins. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a storm, hurricane, or tropical storm or meltwater from ice or snow flowing over ice sheets or snowfields...
s that erupted when 356 millimetres of rain have fell in six hours on November 4. About six people have died. The receding waters in that city revealed heaps of overturned cars, furniture and mud dispersed across the streets. Several people have been reported missing in the city. According to Genoa mayor Marta Vicenzi, the floods constituted "a completely unexpected tragedy". Near Pozzuoli
Pozzuoli
Pozzuoli is a city and comune of the province of Naples, in the Italian region of Campania. It is the main city of the Phlegrean peninsula.-History:Pozzuoli began as the Greek colony of Dicaearchia...
, a tree fell on a car, killing the driver. A bridge across the Pellice stream in the countryside collapsed due to rushing waters with no reported injuries. Flooding also occurred in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
. The muddy water reached Cinque Terre
Cinque Terre
The Cinque Terre is a rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera. It is in the Liguria region of Italy, to the west of the city of La Spezia. "The Five Lands" is composed of five villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore...
, while the ports of Vernazza
Vernazza
WARNING: On October 25, 2011, Vernazza was struck by torrential rains, massive flooding and mudslides that left the town buried in over 4 meters of mud and debris, causing over 100 million euro worth of damage. The town is evacuated and in a continued state of emergency...
and Monterosso were swamped by hundreds of tonnes of debris and mud.
The Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
matches between Napoli
S.S.C. Napoli
Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as Napoli, is a professional Italian football club based in Naples and founded in 1926. The club has spent most of its history in Serie A, where it currently plays its 2011–12 season....
and Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
, as well as between Genoa
Genoa C.F.C.
Genoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to simply as Genoa , is a professional Italian football club based in the city of Genoa, Liguria...
and Inter Milan
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
, were postponed. An investigation was opened in the country into whether floods were the fault of official negligence and illegal building.
France
Five people have been confirmed dead and one person was swept away in the river Var. About 750 people were evacuated from flooded areas in FrejusFréjus
Fréjus is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It neighbours Saint-Raphaël, effectively forming one town...
, Roquebrune
Roquebrune
Roquebrune may refer to the following communes in France:* Roquebrune, Gers, in the Gers département* Roquebrune, Gironde, in the Gironde département* Roquebrune, the former name for Roquebrune-Cap Martin, in the Alpes-Maritimes département...
and Tourves
Tourves
Tourves is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France....
. The preliminary damage from floods in the south of France throughout one week has been estimated at between €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
550 million and €800 million. About 7,500 homes in the departments of Var and Alpes-Maritimes
Alpes-Maritimes
Alpes-Maritimes is a department in the extreme southeast corner of France.- History : was created by Octavian as a Roman military district in 14 BC, and became a full Roman province in the middle of the 1st century with its capital first at Cemenelum and subsequently at Embrun...
lost internet or phone service on November 6–7.