Venice under water as complex dam system fails to activate December 08, 2020 at 06:19PM

Residents -- long accustomed to perennial "acqua alta" or high water events -- pulled on their rubber boots once more to deal with flooding that reached a high of 1.37 metres (4.5 feet) above sea level in the afternoon. The waters drowned St Mark's Square -- the Renaissance city's lowest area at about one metre above sea level -- and invaded the famous basilica as many shopkeepers blocked their entrances with wood panels to keep the water out.