Evacuation orders issued for three more villages as Italy battles deadly flooding

Eleven people have died and 10,000 have fled their homes after six months' worth of rain fell in 36 hours

A flooded road in Lugo, Italy. AP

Evacuation orders were placed on three more villages on Thursday as deadly floods hit northern Italy.

Buses have been sent in to help residents escape the rising water, as more than 20 rivers and streams burst their banks to flood farmland and entire suburbs.

Eleven people are known to have died and 10,000 have been evacuated after six months' worth of rain fell in the Emilia Romagna region over the course of 36 hours. The most recent bodies recovered were that of two farmers, both in their 70s, who were found on Thursday.

Italy's armed forces and the coastguard have joined the emergency effort, sending helicopters and inflatable boats to rescue residents and reach houses surrounded on all sides by water.

This weekend's Italian Formula One race in Imola, which is close to many of the worst affected areas, was called off.

“We have had six months of rain in 36 hours, falling where there had already been record rain two weeks ago – there is no territory that can hold out,” said regional president Stefano Bonaccini.

“We had an estimated two billion [euros] of damages two weeks ago … the ground no longer absorbs anything.”

Immediate evacuation orders were issued on Thursday for residents in Villanova di Ravenna, Filetto and Roncalceci after the river Lamone burst its banks.

As floods receded in other areas, residents were beginning the clean-up. Streets were thick with mud and filled with debris.

“I've lived here since 1979, I've seen floods go by, but I've never seen anything like that,” Edoardo Amadori, a resident of Cesena, said.

Thousands of farms in the fertile agricultural area were affected, but Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida said the water would have to subside before the government could quantify the damage.

The UAE has expressed its sincere condolences to Italy. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation offered sympathy to the families of victims and people injured in the disaster.

About 50cm of rain fell within 36 hours in Forli, Cesena and Ravenna – equivalent to the average rainfall over a six-month period.

The civil protection agency urged “maximum caution” and mayors advised people to stay on high ground.

In Bologna, muddy water rushed under the arches of walkways.

In Forli, streets became rivers and firefighters took residents to safety in rubber dinghies.