Severe Storms Hit Tuscany: Floods, Lightning and Dozens of Rescues

Tuscany has been battered by intense storms over the past 48 hours, with heavy rain, strong winds and thousands of lightning strikes causing widespread disruption across the region.

The worst-hit areas include the Maremma, the Grosseto province, and the coast around Livorno and Elba, where torrential rain and rising waters forced firefighters to rescue several people. In Orbetello, customers were evacuated from a flooded restaurant, while in nearby Albinia a driver trapped inside a submerged car was pulled to safety. In Manciano, rainfall exceeded 90 millimeters in just 90 minutes, reviving memories of past floods along the Albegna river.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Eugenio Giani (@eugenio_giani)

Across the Grosseto area, firefighters carried out around 50 emergency operations overnight, while in Prato at least 28 interventions were needed to clear fallen trees and unstable structures. In Lunigiana, a lightning strike split a large cedar tree in two, blocking a road but causing no injuries. In Florence, a 28-year-old woman was injured in the Galluzzo district when a falling branch struck her foot during the storm.

In total, more than 100,000 lightning strikes were recorded over Tuscany in half a day. Storms also caused power outages, damage to buildings, and traffic disruptions. Consortia of land reclamation have been working to keep rivers and canals clear, with pumping stations activated in critical areas such as Albinia and Orbetello.

(Photo taken by Antonella Vongher on Monte Argentario, shared via the Facebook page of Tuscany’s regional president Eugenio Giani)

Support Florence Daily News

Florence Daily News is an independent news site covering the stories, culture, and life of Florence and Tuscany. We don’t rely on clickbait, invasive or hidden advertising, or paywalls. Instead, we believe in quality journalism that respects our readers and serves those who care about thoughtful, local reporting.

If you value our work, consider supporting us with a donation.

Donate securely via Stripe below.