It's true that canal-lined Venice is known for its regular flooding, but usually that means residents and tourists shuffle through ankle-deep water. This week, however, nearly three quarters of the city faced floods nearing the five-foot mark after an onslaught of rain and bad weather hit northern Italy, according to Reuters.
Two hundred people were forced to evacuate from their homes in Tuscany, and shops, homes and palaces were inundated with water in Venice. Water levels reached 149 cm (5ft)—the sixth highest level since records began in 1872.
While residents desperately tried to save their homes and possessions, tourists seemed to revel in the flooding, sitting at cafe tables in their bathing suits, playing in the waist-deep water, and swimming through St. Mark's square.
Authorities said that 70% of Venice was flooded, including the city's iconic St. Mark's square, where people played in the flooded water in their bathing suits.
Source: Reuters
The high tide reached a peak of 127 centimeters (50 inches) on Saturday, flooding Venice. Good-humored tourists donned their swimsuits and swam in St. Mark's Square.
Source: AP photo
While children played in the giant swimming pool.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider