Heavy rain over the past few days has caused Venice, the famous city of canals, to become largely submerged. Due to the ongoing hazardous conditions, schools have been closed and officials are discouraging non-essential travel.
While high tides are common in Venice — the city often experiences some flooding between October and December — Monday’s flooding is unlike anything the city has seen for decades. The tide has risen a staggering five feet, three inches above sea level, flooding over 77 percent of the city, and making this the highest tide recorded since 1979. Barriers have been placed across doorways of homes and businesses to hold back the water, and shopkeepers are using buckets to remove water from their shops. The iconic Piazza San Marco was completely submerged, now resembling a lake more than a town square.
