Oh boy... ROME (AFP) - Venice's historic St Mark's Square was under water as a new episode of "acqua alta" struck the city with the convergence of high tides and a strong sirocco. The city's tide monitoring center put residents on alert and raised walkways were put in place on main streets to allow people to get around the city, five percent of which was under water with levels up to 103 centimeters (3.3 feet). The highest "acqua alta" of the year occurred on October 24, at 112 centimeters. The record "aqua alta" in the Renaissance canal city remains November 4, 1966, when the waters reached 1.94 meters amid severe flooding throughout Italy. The government launched the multi-billion-euro "Moses" plan in 2003 to build 78 mobile dikes together to be situated at either end of Venice's lagoon. The work is scheduled for completion in 2012. Venice has become increasingly vulnerable over time, suffering more than 50 significant floods between 1993 and 2002 and sinking about 23 centimeters over the course of the 20th century. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061209/sc_af...od_061209222518
Venice has been sinking for years and years. It's nothing new...unless you're one of those environmental elitists who thinks that global warming explains everything (It doesnt, FYI)
