Devastating Italian floods kill at least 13, wreck homes and farms

Floods that killed at least 13 people in Italy's northern Emilia-Romagna region caused billions of euros' worth of damage and hit agriculture particularly hard, the regional governor said on Thursday. Torrential rains this week devastated the eastern side of the region, known as Romagna, with up to 300 landslides, 23 overflowing rivers, some 400 roads damaged or destroyed, and 42 flooded municipalities.

According to the Coldiretti agricultural association, more than 5,000 farms were left under water in the region, which includes a so-called "Fruit Valley", as well as corn and grain fields. The government has promised an extra $22 million in emergency aid. At least 10,000 people were forced to leave their homes, and many of those who remained in flooded areas were left with no electricity.