The mayor of Taormina, Italy, was struck by a giant wave while live streaming a damage report along the coast amid turbulent weather across the southern region, including strong gusts, heavy rain, snow, and giant waves along the shore.
The incident occurred last Tuesday in Santa Teresa di Riva on the eastern side of Sicily, when Cateno De Luca, the mayor of Taormina, was inspecting storm damage and live streaming on social media together with Danilo Lo Giudice, mayor of Santa Teresa di Riva, warning residents to avoid coastal roads.
During the live broadcast, a giant wave violently surged over the seaside barrier. Although the mayor stood outside the restricted zone, the wave penetrated more than 20 meters inland from the shoreline. The mayor's team struggled to keep their balance and were drenched, but no injuries were reported.
Reports indicate that the severe storm battering southern Italy has caused widespread emergencies. Italian firefighters reported assisting residents 1,650 times over the past three days, deploying more than 1,480 personnel. Sicily was the hardest hit, with over 1,013 rescue operations conducted there.
In Palermo, authorities evacuated eight people, including two children, from several buildings after seawater flooded basements. At the small Arenella port, a car was swept into the sea and sank, but the owner escaped safely.
Additionally, on the island of Sardinia, there were more than 360 rescue operations since 19 January. In Calabria, rescue teams operated across nearly the entire region, especially along the Ionian Sea coast, with a total of 293 interventions. Italy's financial police rescue unit also assisted a Swiss family trapped in a snowstorm near Mount Etna’s crater.
Following the events, the mayor of Taormina called on the central government to declare a state of emergency to expedite the restoration of damaged coastal infrastructure and reduce bureaucratic delays, particularly regarding environmental impact assessments.
Source: AP
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