Venice Struggles to Stay Afloat

Three reports say rising seas endanger continental US

(NEWSER) - Coastal states are now twice as likely to experience a so-called once-in-a-century flood by 2030, thanks to a global warming-fueled rise in sea levels, according to a trio of reports released today. Census data shows 5 million people are in the danger zone, particularly in cities, where many people live below the four-foot mark. South Florida in particular has 106 such municipalities and is basically "indefensible," because it's built on "bedrock that's like Swiss cheese," Ben Strauss, author of one report, tells Reuters . More»

(NEWSER) - The Florida Keys are in serious danger from rising ocean levels—and woefully unprepared to deal with the challenge, the Miami Herald reports. “South Florida is on the front line against sea-level rise in the United States, and the Florida Keys are ground zero,” a scientist said. In the best-case scenario, the Keys will lose $11 billion in real estate by 2100. More»

Satellite measurements show it tilting slightly to the east as well

(NEWSER) - Venice is sinking once again, according to new satellite readings. The famous canal-ridden city sank significantly last century thanks to underground water extraction, but once that practice stopped, data from the early 2000s indicated that the city had stabilized. But now a team of US and Italian researchers has concluded that it's still on its way down, at the leisurely pace of 2mm per year. It's also tilting slightly to the east, reports the BBC . More»

Tourism surging, residents worry about Costa Concordia disaster

(NEWSER) - Fragile, waterlogged Venice has long been unhappy with the onslaught of ever-larger cruise ships that inundate its picturesque port. But the wreck of the Costa Concordia has sent fears soaring, and many in the city are calling for regulations to cut down on the 650 cruise ships that come to Venice each year and keep them further from the venerable city, reports the AP . Cruise ship tourism has increased from 280,000 passengers in 1997 to 1.8 million last year, and with the European cruise industry expected to double by 2020, that number will continue to soar. More»

6 missing as rain pummels villages

(AP) - At least nine people have died in flash floods as torrential rains lashed Italy from the Alps to Sicily, authorities say. At least six were missing. Most of the victims were in Borghetto Vara, a northwestern coastal village in the Liguria region. Roiling waters and mud drove through the village, about 45 miles from Genoa and near the Cinque Terre, a popular vacation area. At least one building collapsed. More»