In the floods that hit several cities in the central part of Italy, 10 people died, and at least four are missing, officials said.
Dozens of people had to seek refuge on roofs or in trees and wait to be rescued due to flooding caused by heavy rains.
Torrential waters flooded garages and basements and knocked out doors, cars were carried and thrown on top of each other, and some fields near the sea were several meters under water.
"It was not a water bomb but a tsunami," said the mayor of Barbara Riccardo Pasqualini of the rain that destroyed his town in Italy's central Marche region near the Adriatic Sea.
About 1.300 residents of the city were left without drinking water due to the floods.
Prime Minister Mario Draghi said at a press conference in Rome that 10 people were killed and that four were missing in the flash floods. He thanked the rescuers for their professionalism, dedication and courage.
Officials said about 50 people sought treatment at hospitals for injuries.
Dragi, who is acting prime minister before the elections on September 25, planned to visit some of the affected areas, and the government announced five million euros in financial aid to the region.
In the space of a few hours, the area received the amount of rain it usually receives in six months, state television reported. Because of the summer, during which there was almost no rain, the soil on the slopes of the mountains was unusually hard and dry, so that the water flowed down the slopes faster and increased the impact.
Firefighters reported that dozens of people trapped in vehicles or who climbed onto roofs or trees to escape the torrential water were rescued.
Seven people from remote places in the Apennine mountains were rescued by helicopter.
Hundreds of firefighters worked today to remove fallen trees and branches in the thick mud, looking for possible casualties. They waded through waist-deep water in flooded streets, and some rowed in rubber boats to pick up survivors.
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