By HeatherBuchmanAccuWeather.com
Torrential rainfall that inundated Sicily, Italy, Thursday night unleasheddeadly mudslides in the city of Messina. The mudslides were described as theworst in the decade and claimed the lives of at least 21 people.While there have been 21 confirmed deaths from the disaster, 40 other peopleremain missing. More than 80 others were injured.
A car submerged in mud early Friday, Oct. 2, 2009 in Messina,southern Italy (AP Photo)A storm system dumped more (in a few instances much more) than 2 inches of rainacross parts of Sicily Thursday night. According to officials, as much as 9inches fell in just three hours in a few locations. AccuWeather has estimatedrainfall totals for the two-day period ending on Saturday morning, local time,topping out around 4.86 inches in Messina, 2.64 inches in Trapani and 1.93inches in Cozza Spadaro.According to the RSOE Emergency and Disaster Information Service, the rain wasenough to send rivers of muddy water-bearing trees and other debris gushingdown mountainsides and sweeping into villages. The mud and floodwaters knockedover buildings, buried vehicles and forced many people to flee to the roofs oftheir homes.
The RSOE also reports the "disaster had been worsened by years of deforestationand illegal building of houses and apartment blocks, some of it linked toSicily's Cosa Nostra mafia."Persistent rainfall after the disaster also hampered search and rescueoperations. Fortunately, it appears that high pressure will dominate and keepthe weather dry throughout much of this upcoming week. This will allow forclean-up to continue without interruption from the weather.
Meteorologists Jim Andrews and Meghan Evans contributed to the content ofthis story.
