After severe weather with heavy rain and landslides struck northern Italy late last week, the evacuation of people from the still isolated town of Cogne in the Aosta Valley continues. Local authorities report significant infrastructure damage, according to the Slovenian news agency STA on Monday.
Cogne, with 1,300 residents, was cut off when floods damaged the only road to the tourist town near the French border, and water supply was disrupted. Civil protection helicopters evacuated around 500 people to safety on Sunday, according to the Italian news agency Ansa. Tourist evacuations continued on Monday. The town’s mayor, Franco Allera, told Ansa that about 600 people are still waiting to be transported to the valley. He also noted that the floods caused extensive infrastructure damage.
Millions in Damages
Local authorities estimate that clearing the road could take several weeks, and repairs to the aqueduct damaged by the floods are ongoing. Additionally, there are still issues with internet and telephone connections.
A landslide in the Aosta Valley temporarily blocked access to the resort town of Cervinia. Floods caused by swollen mountain streams led to extensive damage, with Deputy Mayor Massimo Chatrian estimating the damage to be in the “millions (of euros).”