'Roads have disappeared': Italy begins cleanup after catastrophic floods

Emilia-Romagna still on alert, with 36,000 people homeless after six months' worth of rain fell in 36 hoursStanding outside her home under moody skies in Ronta, a hamlet in the Forl?-Cesena area of Emilia-Romagna, Ivana Casadei considers herself one of the lucky ones. "The water only came as far as our garden," said the 61-year-old. "But my neighbours' home was destroyed, so they are now staying with us - there are eight of us living together, and five dogs."Emilia-Romagna remained on red alert on Sunday after catastrophic flooding that claimed 14 lives and left more than 36,000 people homeless. The emergency, which wreaked havoc across 100 cities and towns - many still under water - prompted the prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, to return early from the G7 summit in Japan. A helicopter that had been attempting to restore electricity to homes crashed close to the badly affected town of Lugo on Saturday, injuring one of the four people onboard. "Frankly, I cannot remain so far from Italy in such a complex moment," said Meloni, who is expected to arrive in Forl?, where vast areas have been cut off by landslides, on Sunday afternoon. Continue reading...