Venice floods: Mayor to declare disaster after second worst high tide

Venice's Mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, walks on St Mark's Square on November 13, 2019 (Image: Reuters)

Venice's Mayor, on November 13, prepared to declare the Italian city a disaster zone after the second highest tide ever recorded, flooded its historic basilica and left many of its squares and alleyways deep under water.

A local man from Pellestrina, one of the many islands in the Venetian lagoon, died overnight when he was struck by lightning while using an electric water pump, the fire brigade said.

City officials said the tide peaked at 187 cm (6ft 2ins) at 10.50 pm local time (2150 GMT) on November 12, just short of the record 194 cm set in 1966.

Night-time footage showed a torrent of water whipped up by high winds raging through the city centre.

"The situation is dramatic," Brugnaro said on Twitter. "We ask the government to help us. The cost will be high. This is the result of climate change."

Brugnaro warned of severe damage and said he would ask the government to declare a state of emergency which would allow funds to be freed to address the damage.

Saint Mark's Square was submerged by more than one metre of water. The adjacent Saint Mark's Basilica was flooded for only the sixth time in 1,200 years.

On November 13 morning, the tide level fell to 145 cm. However, it was expected to rise back to 160 cm during the day.