Ferrari has provided “a concrete and immediate response” to aid the Emilia Romagna region after being hit with deadly floods.

The Scuderia, whose Maranello factory resides in the heart of the devastated area, has joined the fundraising campaign by donating €1 million ($1.63m; US$1.08m) to the Emilia Romagna region’s Agency for Territorial Safety and Civil Protection.

The latest reported death toll has risen to nine, whilst more than 10,000 have been displaced from their homes as 21 rivers have burst their banks.

The financial impact on local communities, businesses, and the wider infrastructure of what is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful regions of Italy is expected to be considerable.

The cancellation of events such as the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, albeit rightly so given the circumstances, will serve as a further blow to the local economy,

Ferrari states that in coordination with the territorial authorities, the funds will be used to help the local population, with emphasis placed on ‘projects for environmental recovery and the management of hydrogeological instability’.

Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna said: “In times of difficulty, Ferrari has always stood by its community.

“We wanted to provide a concrete and immediate response to the most urgent needs of the population of Emilia-Romagna, which has been tried by a serious environmental disaster.

“With the coordination of the local authorities, to whom our heartfelt thanks go for their tireless work, this aid will bring comfort and a tangible sign of the solidarity of the entire Ferrari family.”

Ferrari supports the flood-affected community and is donating 1 million euros to the Emilia-Romagna Region’s Agency for Territorial Safety and Civil Protection, joining the regional fundraising campaign.#Ferrari #EmiliaRomagna

— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) May 18, 2023

Professor explains drought behind flooding cause

Explaining the reason behind the flooding, Peter Wadhams, emeritus professor of ocean physics at the University of Cambridge, said Italy had been “afflicted by an unusually intense burst of rain which has caused widespread flooding” adding that there is “further rain on the way”.

Wadhams, a member of Extreme E’s scientific committe, added: “One cause has been the drought which has affected northern Italy since January 2022.

“Rainfall has been at less than a quarter of the normal level, and this caused rivers to dry up and thus the soil in the riverbed to become dry and cracked. The river Po, Italy’s greatest river, dried up almost completely. Then the rains came.

“May has been a time of almost continuous rain, and the dried riverbeds absorbed vast quantities of water, which plugged the base of the rivers such that further rain led to a rapid growth of water level.

“The centre of the storm was in the northern Adriatic and the coastline of Emilia Romagna, near Ravenna, where more than 50cm of rain fell in a few hours and 14,000 people have been evacuated.

“Water level rose by more than a metre in Faenza and Cesena, and the centre of Bologna was flooded. Motorways and railways have been blocked, too.”