Venice submerged by highest tide in over 50 years

Venice was hit by the highest tide in more than 50 years late Nov. 12, 2019, with tourists wading through flooded streets to seek shelter as a fierce wind whipped up waves in St. Mark's Square. The view below shows the Doge's Palace, left, overlooking the flooded St. Mark's Square, on Nov. 13 in Venice.

St. Mark's Square

Venice's huge St. Mark's Square, once described as Europe's living room, was submerged by more than one metre of water. 

Mayor tours square

Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro walks through St. Mark's Square during exceptionally high water levels. "Venice is on its knees," Brugnaro told Reuters. "The damage will run into hundreds of millions of euros." "This is the result of climate change," he said on Twitter.

Makeshift bridges

Tourists and locals made use of makeshift footbridges and waded through flooded streets. 

St. Mark's Basilica floods

The adjacent St. Mark's Basilica, including the famed crypt and antechamber, was flooded for the sixth time in 1,200 years, the fourth time in the last 20 years. 

Gritti Palace

The luxury Gritti Palace hotel, a landmark of Venice that looks onto the Lagoon, was also flooded. Here, employees of the Gritti Palace protect furniture during high tide. 

Businesses affected

More than 80 per cent of Venice was under water when the tide was at its highest, affecting businesses throughout the city. 

Damaged quay

Here is a view of the damaged quay near San Marco square, in the aftermath of the flooding.

Stranded boat

This taxi boat is stranded on Riva degli Schiavoni after being washed away during the high tide water level with the sirocco winds blowing northwards from the Adriatic Sea against the lagoon and preventing water from flowing back into the sea.

"With the rise of sea levels and an increase in the frequency of sea storms, these extreme phenomena will become ever more numerous," the head of Italy's national marine research department, Rosalia Santoleri, told state broadcaster RAI.