Mantova Po River Floodwave Pre-Alert as Water Levels Surge Garrett
The pre-alert status has been declared for the Mantuan rivers due to the flood wave currently impacting the Po River, which has risen by over 5 meters in 24 hours and is expected to peak today at 11 a.m. In some sections, the water level may even surpass the warning threshold, but a break in the upstream rainfall suggests that the wave could pass without major danger.
River Conditions and Weather Forecast
We hold our breath, hoping that the showers which also battered Piedmont and the Apennines yesterday will give way to clear weather. The rapid rise of the river crossing our province is attributed to the heavy showers that struck northern Italy over the weekend. Regarding the weather, damages caused by the hailstorm in Monzambano and Ponti have been quantified at approximately twenty billion euros.
Po River and Hydraulic Works Situation
— MANTOVA. The pre-alert status has been declared for the Mantuan rivers due to the flood wave affecting the Po, which has increased by over 5 meters in 24 hours and will reach its peak today around 11 a.m. In some sections, the level might even exceed the danger threshold, but the temporary halt in upstream rain suggests the wave can pass without significant danger.
Yesterday, the Po was rising at a rate of 10 centimeters per hour. In Viadana, the water level surpassed the zero mark on the hydrometric gauge by 2 meters and 91 centimeters. The rapid increase in the river flowing through our province has been driven by heavy storms that hit northern Italy over the past weekend.
For example, according to data from Ersal (Ente regionale di sviluppo agricolo), on Sunday, 32 millimeters of rain fell in Cavriana, over 33 mm in Curtatone, and up to 50 mm in Palidano. Even larger quantities were recorded over the Alpine arc in Piedmont and Liguria.
The immediate effect was an enormous swell in the river. Yesterday morning, the volume of water below the Cremona bridge was estimated at 4,500 cubic meters per second. Along the entire stretch from Piacenza to Ferrara, there was a record rise of about 4-5 meters in 24 hours. It was only in the afternoon that the water level started to spread out and the rise slowed down; by evening, in Piacenza, the level was already decreasing.
“This is a typical autumn flood,” confirms Salvatore Rizzo, director of the Magistrato per il Po di Mantova. “The Po and its tributaries’ levels rose rapidly, but the situation is completely under control and constantly monitored. Currently, conditions do not justify activating a flood alert or heightened embankment surveillance because, even if the warning level were reached, the weather forecast remains favorable.”
Throughout yesterday, technicians from the Magistrato monitored the evolving situation, collecting reports from critical areas. No significant situations have been identified, aside from the flooding of the riverbanks in several points.
Tributaries and Hydrometric Levels
The tributaries Secchia and Chiese are calm, affected only by the rising levels of the Po. The increase in the Oglio is more notable, although it entered a rest phase yesterday. Regarding the Mincio, the gates at Governolo remained open to allow the discharge of water from the Mantova lakes.
The level at Porto Catena has reached 14.70 meters above sea level, equal to the Po at the Mincio estuary. During the afternoon and evening, water levels continued to rise. If the weather remains stable in the coming hours, the pre-alert status could be lifted as early as tonight.
