It's too early to assess the damage, especially since there are still 24 hours of red alert to deal with. But the storm surges have brought Poetto to its knees: the beach is submerged, bars and beach clubs are flooded .

«It was expected, but it's a little worse than we expected», sighs Angelo Cerina, from the Lido: «I hope someone has the courage to talk about a catastrophe, because that's what it is» .

Cerina doesn't speak for himself, but looks at the entire beach as a productive district: "Poetto, in the summer, is worth 2,500-3,000 paychecks , taking everything from Marina Piccola to Quartu into account, including lifeguards and beach attendants. In the winter, we'll be around 700-800. And the businesses are suffering significant damage ." La Bussola, for example. The Twist. The bars at the first stop. And the Lido? "We've learned from our experiences," Cerina replies, "and as soon as we saw what was coming, we made everything safe: we disconnected the electrical system, emptied the refrigerators, and handed the goods back to the suppliers. The umbrellas and loungers had already been put away at the end of the season. However, the sea has knocked the largest ones, those at the bar, against the wall. We're digging tunnels to drain the water from the parking lots, but now there's a risk of flooding the warehouses."

The water has invaded the road and the bike path, but despite the dangers, the natural spectacle attracts the curious. Yesterday morning, dozens of people were there, including children in tow, with their smartphones trained on the raging sea. This is despite Mayor Zedda's advice—which still applies today—to avoid coastal areas .

HERE ARE ALL THE UPDATES ON THE BAD WEATHER

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