Venice's St Mark's Square Flooded after Dam System Fails

St Mark’s Square in Venice was inundated on December 8 after a new flood defense system failed to deploy, local media reported.

The square, which is located in one of the lowest lying areas of the city, routinely floods during high tides. A newly installed system of inflatable barriers is meant to be activated when such tides are expected to reach 1.3 meters (4 feet 4 inches). On Tuesday, forecasts put them below that level, but heavy winds propelled the tide higher, to at least 1.38 meters by the afternoon.

This video, recorded in the square, shows flooding on December 8. Credit: @ J4617099 via Storyful