Flood Response Efforts in Riva and Torbole Amid Heavy Rainfall

The rain granted a few hours of respite, but here too, the battle against water has known no truce. In garages, warehouses, and basements, people continued working to assess and limit the damage caused by the heavy infiltrations from underground faults.

A short drive around reveals dozens of hoses coming out of homes everywhere, sounds of shovels and brooms, and the frantic work of a small army of people, boots on, trying to push the enemy out of their homes. An exhausting and lengthy effort, but not a definitive solution.

Interventions and Forecasts

The goal, in fact, is to salvage what can be saved and to prevent the infiltration levels from rising too much. Before considering “drying out,” it is necessary to wait for the skies to close their taps and for the lake’s level to return to acceptable levels, also lowering those of the faults.

Weather forecasts, in fact, seem to agree with the pessimists, and in every corner of the “Busa,” this pause has been used to prepare for the emergency. Given the large number of emergencies, it also appears difficult to even compile an estimate of private damages.

Emergency Interventions

In Torbole, the fire department has filled over 1,500 sacks and continues working towards reaching 2,000: the lake level has dropped by a couple of centimeters, but a few hours are enough for it to rise again to emergency levels, so it’s better to stay prepared.

In Riva, the municipality rented a large pump from Venice capable of sucking up 3,800 liters of water per minute, and installed it in Piazza Catena. This will allow the use of the equipment provided so far by Riva’s firefighters on other fronts.

Yesterday, moreover, workers from the municipal construction site conducted an initial inspection of the pedestrian and cycling path that connects Riva to Torbole, which was affected by a small landslide in recent days.

Closures and Safety Work

Given the evident dangers, the administration has decided to initiate urgent works to secure the stretch affected by the landslide (from the entrance of the pathway starting from Porto San Nicolò, along Monte Brione, up to the beginning of the panoramic footbridge) and to close it to traffic until the works are completed.

From Arco, comes the call from Forza Italia; through the municipal delegate, Niko Posenato, they urge the administration to take urgent measures.

“The districts of S. Giorgio, Grotta, Linfano, and Via S. Caterina — writes Posenato — are in disastrous conditions. Cellars and garages completely flooded; craft and commercial activities with significant damages.

Probably around one hundred families are affected, with one meter of water in their basements, and in some spots the level has reached one meter and seventy centimeters.” Forza Italia also commits to promoting a motion in the municipal council, urging the mayor and the executive to urgently assess the damages, establish a dedicated fund in the municipal budget, and, finally, to include a specific chapter in the provincial budget.