'Marea eccezionale' da codice rosso

(AP Photo/Luigi Costantini)

The wooden boards usually set up as walk ways when the high water occurs are seen floating away in St. Mark’s Square after the high water reached a peak of 144 cm (4.70 feet), the highest level of 2009, in Venice, Italy, early Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2009. The phenomenon of high water, which floods the Venice lagoon, occurs mainly between autumn and spring when tides are reinforced by seasonal winds. The heavy rain and snowfall which has been hitting most of Italy in the past days contributed to raising the water level in the lagoon.