'Apocalyptic' storm floods Sardinia, 17 dead

Two men use an inflatable dingy to get around in a flooded street in Olbia, northern Sardinia, Monday, Nov. 18, 2013. A violent rainstorm that flooded entire parts of the Mediterranean island of Sardinia has led to the deaths of at least nine people. Bridges were felled by swollen rivers and water levels reached 3 metres (yards) in some places. (AP Photo/Antonio Satta)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Two tankers are battered by gale winds while at the roadstead in the rough waters of the Gulf of Cagliari, Sardinia.

ROME — The Mediterranean island of Sardinia, prized by the jet-set for its white sand beaches and crystal-clear seas, was a flood-ravaged mudbath today after a freak torrential rainstorm killed at least 17 people, downed bridges and swept away cars.

Italian Premier Enrico Letta declared a state of emergency and set aside 20 million euros ($27 million) for emergency relief, saying the priority was reaching remote areas, saving the lives of those still unaccounted-for and providing for those left homeless.

The island, famed for its Costa Smeralda beaches that draw royals, entrepreneurs and ordinary tourists alike during the dry, peak summer months, received more than 17.3 inches of rain in 24 hours Monday — half the amount it normally receives in a year — officials said.

Italy’s civil protection chief, Franco Gabrielli, said the death toll may still rise as crews reach isolated areas in the countryside where some homes are submerged.

Transport was hampered by rivers of cocoa-colored mud gushing over roads, forcing the closure of several major thoroughfares, including a tunnel into the city of Olbia, according to Anas, which runs Italy’s roads and highways.

Olbia Mayor Gianni Giovannelli said the city had been destroyed by the “apocalyptic” storm, with bridges felled and water levels reaching 3 meters (10 feet) in some places. He described the ferocity of the storm’s rains as a “water bomb.”

Sardinia Gov. Ugo Cappellacci said among the 17 dead was a family of four, reportedly of Brazilian origin, in Arzachena.

Local newspaper L’Unione Sarda said a policeman helping to escort an ambulance died when the car he was travelling in was submerged in the collapse of a bridge in Dorgali. In hard-hit Gallura, three people died after their car was swept away in the collapse of another bridge, it said.

Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean and is one of Italy’s autonomous regions. While it’s known to tourists for its pristine beaches, the island’s interior is known for its sheep and pastoral life. The island’s people are famed for their exceptional longevity.