Once again, Venice’s acqua alta is all over the news. Rising water levels in Piazza San Marco disrupt daily life for locals – and throw a wrench in visitors’ carefully planned itineraries. So what can you do when flooding inundates the Floating City First, it helps to have a solid understanding of why Venice floods – and how the impact of flooding has changed in the past few decades.

In 2019, Venice’s acqua alta got up to 187 cm (6 ft 1 inch), the second-highest level of flooding ever recorded. At that time, more than 80 percent of Venice was under water! This left many devastating, long-lasting impacts on the city. Current efforts to correct flood damage include a €3.3 million Euro restoration of St. Mark’s Basilica.