A powerful tornado tore through Marsala, a city on Sicily’s western coast about 55 miles southwest of Palermo, on Friday, overturning vehicles, downing utility poles and seriously injuring at least two people.
Footage of the storm showed the twister swirling through the city as debris flew through the air. A school in Marsala sustained serious damage, with video reviewed by Reuters showing blown-out windows and a partially collapsed ceiling. At least one house was also damaged, and cars and trucks were left overturned in the streets.
Damage was also reported in the nearby towns of Petrosino and Mazara del Vallo.
Salvatore Cocina, head of Sicily’s Civil Protection agency, described the scene to Reuters as “almost like an American tornado.”
“Nothing this violent has been seen in living memory,” Cocina said.
He added that the storm “once again highlights the issue of extreme weather events, a characteristic of recent years due to the climate crisis.” Sicily’s Civil Protection agency had warned in September that a recent heat wave could contribute to extreme weather.
Mimmo Turano, Sicily’s regional councilor for education, said in a statement that officials were working to secure funding to repair the damaged school in Marsala.
“The situation is serious, the school is no longer there and many companies have been affected by this tragedy,” Turano said. “Together with President Schifani, we will implement every intervention useful to support the entire area.”
The tornado is the latest in a series of dangerous weather and natural events to hit Sicily this year. In August, a 29-year-old American tourist from Kansas was killed by a lightning strike while hiking on Mount Etna, and earlier in the summer, volcanic activity from Etna disrupted flights and stranded an American tourist trying to get home to New York.
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