Italy floods leave behind ‘incalculable’ devastation to farms and homes

Parts of the city of Faenza are still underwater, with cars submerged and basements flooded by thick, gooey mud

The flooded town square in Lugo, near Ravenna, northern Italy on Thursday (AFP via Getty)

Floods that killed at least nine people in Italy caused billions of pounds worth of damage and hit agriculture particularly hard, a regional governor said on Thursday.

Rescue crews were still working to reach towns and villages, with many of them cut off from power and mobile phone services, in the northern region of Emilia-Romagna.

Torrential rains devastated the area, with up to 300 landslides, 23 overflowing rivers, some 400 roads damaged or destroyed, and 42 flooded municipalities.