Sophie Marchetti

Climate Correspondent, The Continental Times

Sophie covers climate for The Continental Times and has reported from more than a dozen countries.

In Italy’s Flood Country, Insurers Are Leaving Faster Than the Water Recedes

Three floods in four years have made the Romagna plain a test of a new Italian law requiring businesses to insure against natural disasters, and of whether anyone will sell them the policies.

Oct. 11, 2026 6 MIN READ

Mud-covered streets in Faenza, in the Emilia-Romagna region, after the Lamone River burst its banks.

Venice’s Flood Barrier Rose a Record 71 Times Last Season. Keeping It Up Is Getting Expensive.

The MOSE gates have spared St. Mark’s Square from the worst of the high tides, but each closure costs about 300,000 euros, shuts the port and wears out machinery that was designed to be used a few times a year.

Oct. 9, 2026 6 MIN READ

Tourists walk on raised platforms in St. Mark’s Square during a high tide in Venice.