Venice, City Of Water, Faces Rising Floods

Water in Venice rose to its highest level in more than 20 years Monday, flooding much of the Italian city and forcing residents and tourists to wade through knee-high water.

City officials said the sea level topped 61 inches on Monday, well past the 40-inch flood mark, following heavy rains. Alarms went off to alert citizens in the morning.

"There are very few streets that are water-free," said a city spokesman, Enzo Bon.

Among the spots affected was St. Mark's Square, the landmark piazza that is the lowest point in the city.

Flooding has become the norm for Venice during winter, as water splashes over the quays and bubbles up through the sewers in St. Mark's Square during high tide, writes CBS News producer Mimi Spillane.

The city has taken to constructing temporary elevated walkways so its estimated 20 million annual visitors can get around, though workers were unable to install the walkways during the latest flooding because the water rose too high and too quickly under heavy rains.

The floods forced many of the water taxis to suspend service, Bon said.

TV footage showed people rolling up their pants or wearing rubber boots as they walked through the water. Some had plastic wrapped around their legs, while some tourists in St. Mark's walked on chairs left in the piazza.

The last time Venice registered such high waters was in 1986, city officials said. The all-time record was 76 inches in 1966.