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Santa paddles down flooded Venice street
A costumed Santa Claus didn't let the flooded waters of Venice stop him from getting to his destination. Video courtesy Costantino Boscolo via Storyful.
NEW YORK - Floodwaters as high as five feet in Venice, Italy and the surrounding area were not going to stop a costumed Santa Claus from getting to his destination.
On Tuesday, Costantino Boscolo donned some festive attire and paddled his way down a flooded street in Chioggia on an inflatable parrot.
Boscolo made sure to wear a face mask.
The Corriere Della Sera said Venice’s newly installed flood defense system would be in operation until Friday after it was not activated in time due to erroneous weather forecasts. The error lead to the recent flooding.
High tide had been forecasted for under four feet which is lower than the threshold for triggering the Mose system. The barrier separates the Venetian lagoon from the sea.
“The situation is terrible, we’re underwater in a dramatic way," said Carlo Alberto Tesserin, head procurator of St Mark’s Basilica, to The Guardian.
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St. Mark’s Square in Venice reopens after flooding
VENICE, Italy (AP) — Tourists and residents were allowed back into St. Mark’s Square in Venice on Saturday, a day after it was closed due to exceptionally high tidal waters that swept through most of the lagoon city’s already devastated center.