Storm Ciaran claims five lives in Tuscany and washes cars down the street as eight inches of rain falls in three hours, flooding the River Arno – bringing European death toll to 12

Storm Ciaran has claimed a further five lives as record-breaking rainfall caused flooding that hit much of Tuscany as Storm Ciaran entered Italy today, trapping residents in their homes, flooding hospitals and overturning cars.

Nearly eight inches of rain fell in three hours, flooding the Arno River and raising the death toll from the storm in Western Europe to twelve.

Dramatic scenes showed at least a dozen cars being pushed off the road by a rushing muddy current overnight.

“There was a wave of water bombs without any priority,” Tuscan Governor Eugenio Giani told Italian news channel Sky TG24 as he tried to describe the downpour.

He reported the five deaths on social media and posted photos of vast inland areas inundated by the floods.

After heavy rain, a flowing mud flow raged through the streets

An aerial photo shows flooding after heavy rain in Prato, Tuscany, Italy on November 3, 2023

The Italian government has declared a state of emergency for Tuscany, with an initial allocation of 5 million euros for the worst affected areas, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said today.

The dead in Tuscany included an 85-year-old man who was found on the flooded ground floor of his home near the town of Prato, north of Florence, and an 84-year-old woman who died when she drained water from her home tried to push. in the same area, according to Italian news agency ANSA. Another victim was reported in Livorno.

At least three people were missing in Tuscany, and one person was reported missing in the Veneto mountains, north of Venice. Other regions were on high alert and authorities warned that the storm was heading towards southern Italy.

Ciaran killed at least seven people on Thursday when the plane flew through Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. The storm destroyed homes, caused traffic chaos and knocked out power to many people.

As the storm continued, hospitals in the Italian cities of Pisa and Mugello were flooded. Throughout Tuscany, train lines and roads were disrupted and schools were closed.

The mayor of Prato expressed shock at the strength of the flood that devastated the city overnight. On Friday morning, residents were busy cleaning up the damage.

‘A blow to the stomach, a pain that brings tears. But even after an evening and night of destruction, we are rolling up our sleeves to clean up our city and get it back to normal,” Mayor Matteo Biffoni wrote on social media.

This photo was taken and distributed on November 3, 2023 by the Vigili del Fuoco, the Italian Corps. of Firefighters, shows aerial photos of the flooding around Prato in Tuscany after heavy rain due to Storm Ciara

A woman tries to clear the mud in Montemurlo near Prato after heavy rain last night, on November 3, 2023

Italian firefighters work in flooded streets in the Tuscany region, Italy, November 3, 2023

This photo was taken and distributed on November 3, 2023 by the Vigili del Fuoco, the Italian Corps. of firefighters, shows Italian firefighters working to evacuate people from flooded houses in Campi Bisenzio, near Florence, after the Ciaran storm hit Tuscany, late November 2, 2023

Rescuers use inflatable boats to rescue people after the flood in Campi Bisenzio, Italy, on November 3, 2023

A man walks in the mud in Montemurlo, near Prato, after heavy rain last night, on November 3, 2023

A flooded street after the storm in Campi Bisenzio, Florence, Italy, on November 3, 2023

Cars partially submerged after heavy rain caused flooding in Florence, Italy on November 2, 2023

Florence Mayor Dario Nardella said the Arno River, which runs through the city center, had reached the first alert level, with highest levels expected before noon.

“The psychological fear is high as tomorrow is the anniversary of the 1966 flood,” said Nardella, recalling a flood that killed 101 people and damaged or destroyed millions of artistic masterpieces and rare books.

In the southern province of Carinthia, which borders Italy and Slovenia, winds and heavy rain led to landslides, blocked roads and power outages on Thursday night. About 1,600 households were without electricity early Friday, the Austrian Press Agency reported.

The storm withdrew from northern France and the Atlantic coast on Friday, but heavy rain continued in some regions as emergency workers cleared debris from the day before.

There were reports that the storm brought winds of up to 170 kilometers per hour along much of the northern French coast.

A resident posted images online in the early hours of Thursday of the damage caused in western Brittany.

As a result of the storm, wooden planks were inserted into the wall of a French apartment building.

Wooden planks were inserted into the wall of a French apartment building on November 2, 2023

Posting the images on

Yann Servais posted the images on

Meanwhile, Corsica in the Mediterranean experienced unusually strong winds – up to 130 km/h – on Friday.

More than half a million French households were without electricity for a second day, especially in the western region of Brittany. Trains were stopped in several areas and many roads remained closed.

French President Emmanuel Macron traveled to storm-hit areas of Brittany on Friday and Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne traveled to hard-hit areas of Normandy.