Fatal Flooding Ravages Northern Italy

At least three people have died and thousands have been evacuated from their homes due to devastating floods in Italy's northern Emilia-Romagna region. Fourteen rivers broke their banks, and many roads and rail links were blocked. The mayors of numerous towns and cities urged residents not to leave their homes. The torrential rains followed months of drought, which reduced the land's capacity to absorb water and worsened the impact of the floods.