The Italian city of Venice is seeing its worst flooding in decades, prompting local authorities to submit a request for a state of emergency to the country’s central government, after an unusually high tide inundated the city on Tuesday.Tides of 140 centimeters (55 inches) or more are known as “acqua alta” in Italian, and generally take place in winter time, according to Venice’s municipality website. The high tide on Tuesday peaked at 187 centimeters (74 inches), according to a statement from Venice’s government Wednesday morning.
