Italy to agree urgent funds for flooded northeast

Italy's government was meeting Tuesday to agree to emergency funds for northeastern areas hit by devastating floods which left 14 people dead, displaced thousands and left swathes of agricultural land under water.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's cabinet was expected to unlock at least 100 million euros ($100 million) in initial aid, although the total damage is expected to reach billions.

Some areas of Emilia Romagna are still under water after six months of rain fell in 36 hours one week ago, and as of Monday, 23,000 people were still out of their homes.

Schools reopened in Ravenna on Tuesday, although high schools in nearby Forli remained closed until Wednesday due to continuing disruption on the road network.

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The region has estimated that more than 620 million euros in damage has been caused to infrastructure, including roads and railways.

It was the second time in two weeks that the southeast corner of Emilia Romagna had been hit by floods, with two people killed the first time, the downpours met already saturated ground.

Almost two dozen rivers burst their banks, with water flooding entire neighbourhoods in the wealthy region, which boasts both rich agricultural farmland and industry.

Agricultural lobby Confagricoltura said at least 10 million fruit trees will have to be uprooted, and possibly as many as 40 million.

Some 14 mostly inactive bombs dating from World War I or World War II also emerged out of the floodwaters, which were "all blown up as a precaution" by the army, a local military source said.

Meloni returned early from the G7 summit in Japan to visit some of the worst hit areas on Sunday.

She tweeted afterwards that the first money released "will be for emergencies and for all the measures necessary to exempt companies and citizens from paying taxes".

"It will then be necessary to work on compensation and reconstruction," she added, but said it would take time to assess the scale of the damage.

The president of Emilia Romagna, Stefano Bonaccini, has called for the suspension of tax and mortgage payments and help for temporary agriculture workers and the self-employed.

Longer term, he says the region needs a comprehensive plan "for the reconstruction, maintenance and safety of the territory", to address the flood risks.

Italy has been hit by a number of extreme weather events in the past year, which many -- including former premier Mario Draghi -- have linked to climate change.

A dozen people died after flash floods in the Marche region last September, while a landslide on the island of Ischia in November also killed 12.