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\"Venice is on its knees. The Basilica of Saint Mark has suffered grave damage as has the whole city and the islands,\" he tweeted.

Anche domani sarà sospesa l'attività didattica di tutte le scuole di #Venezia e isole.
Grazie ai tanti ragazzi che stanno usando il loro tempo libero per collaborare con @GruppoVeritas per le pulizie, dimostrando tanto senso civico e amore per la città. Bravi! ♥️💪 pic.twitter.com/Dm2y5IwqIl

— Luigi Brugnaro (@LuigiBrugnaro) November 14, 2019

Flooding in Venice is far from unusual, with parts of the city regularly underwater, especially between fall and spring when bad weather exacerbates the threat already posed by high tides.

The frequency, however, has increased in recent years. In Venice, floods above 31 inches have increased in the last years, according to the MOSE website, Venice’s flood defense program under the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.

\"PHOTO:
Manuel Silvestri/Reuters
PHOTO: A woman takes pictures in the flooded St. Mark's Square during a period of seasonal high water in Venice, Italy, Nov. 14, 2019.
>

“Extreme events are no longer remote probabilities, but mathematical certainties,” Mose wrote on its website. The cause: a combination of Venice sinking due to soil erosion and depletion of ground water as well as a rise in sea level.

In 1966, following Venice’s worst flood in history, the Italian government asked engineers to draw up flood defense plans. The project began in 2003 and was due to be finished by 2011, but costs and corruption delayed the project.

\"PHOTO:
AFP via Getty Images, FILE
PHOTO: A room in the flooded Gritti Palace is pictured during an exceptional "Alta Acqua" high tide water level in Venice, Itlay, Nov. 12, 2019.
>

According to a Facebook post by Italian politican Andrea Zanoni, flooding occured minutes after several officials rejected \"amendments to counter climate change.\"

\"PHOTO:
AFP via Getty Images, FILE
PHOTO: A woman stands sheltered on a barrier during an exceptional "Alta Acqua" high tide water level in Venice, Italy, Nov. 12, 2019.
>

“These delays are an embarrassment for all of Italy and we urgently need a solution,” Alessandro Morelli, the head of parliament’s transport commission said on Wednesday, according to Reuters.

Meanwhile, the schools in Venice have been closed, and locals have begun cleanup.

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