1966 Flood of The Arno River - Timeline of Events

Timeline of Events

3 November 1966

• After a long period of steady rain, the Levane and La Penna dams in Valdarno began to emit more than 2,000 cubic metres (71,000 cu ft) of water per second toward Florence.
• At 2:30 pm, the Civil Engineering Department reported "'an exceptional quantity of water.'"
• Cellars in the Santa Croce and San Frediano areas began to flood.
• Police received calls for assistance from villagers up the Arno Valley.
• The flood's first victim, a 52 year old workman, died while trying to reach a crumbling aqueduct.

4 November 1966

• At 4:00 am, engineers, fearing that the Valdarno dam would burst, discharged a mass of water that eventually reached the outskirts of Florence at a rate of 60 kilometres per hour (37 mph).
• At 7:26 am, the Lungarno delle Grazie cut off gas, electricity and water supplies to affected areas.
• By 8:00 am, army barracks were flooded.
• By 9:00 am, hospital emergency generators (the only source of electrical power remaining) failed.
• Landslides obstructed roads leading to Florence, while narrow streets within city limits funneled floodwaters, increasing their height and velocity.
• By 9:45 am, the Piazza del Duomo was flooded.
• The powerful waters ruptured central heating oil tanks, and the oil mixed with the water and mud, causing greater damage.
• Florence was divided in two, and officials were unable to immediately reach citizens of the city past the Piazza Michelangelo.
• At its highest, the water reached over 6.7 metres (22 ft) in the Santa Croce area.
• By 8:00 pm, the water began to lower.