CityLab Daily: What Happens When Venice Floods

High water mark: With the highest waters in Venice in more than 50 years, Mayor Luigi Brugnaro says a Wednesday flood will leave a “permanent mark” on his historic Italian city. The water peaked at six feet, flooding the landmark St. Mark's Basilica for only the sixth time in its 1,200 year history. The flood has already resulted in two deaths.

Issuing a state of emergency for the city, Brugnaro blamed the effects of climate change for exacerbating the lagoon city’s seasonal high waters. What makes this round of destruction especially frustrating is that Venice’s massive flood defense system, a string of raisable barriers to block tidal surges, is almost complete. CityLab’s Feargus O’Sullivan has the story: Venice Faces ‘Apocalyptic’ Flooding