Venice swamped by first high water*

 From correspondents in Rome

October 25, 2006 04:36am
Article from: Agence France-Presse

A STEEP rise in sea levels swamped part of the historic Italian city of
Venice today, the first "aqua alta" (high water) of the year.

Venice was hit by the common seasonal phenomenon combined with a
depression that pushed water levels up to a peak of 1.12 metres before
receding, the city's flood centre said in a statement.

"It's the first time this year that the waters have reached such a
height," the statement said, adding that 15 per cent of the historic
centre was submerged.

Tourists in Saint Mark's Square took off their shoes and rolled up their
trouser legs to cope with the flooding, blamed on a combination of
natural tides, a weather disturbance originating in the Atlantic Ocean
that caused winds over the Adriatic Sea and a drop in atmospheric pressure.

In worse-hit areas, people made their way along narrow raised walkways.

The flood centre used a new SMS alert system for the first time, in
addition to the usual sirens and loud-speaker announcements, to warn the
public of the rising waters.

Some 50,000 people who subscribed to the service were kept informed of
the state of flooding on their mobile phones.

The highest "aqua alta" on record in the Renaissance canal city was on
November 4, 1966, when the waters reached 1.94 metres amid severe
flooding throughout Italy.