A heavy rainfall event on Wednesday, delivering over 4 inches of rain in Vicenza, led to the suspension of activities at Defense Department schools across U.S. military bases in the area.
Despite no reported damage or flooding at Caserma Ederle or Caserma Del Din, the surrounding city experienced significant road closures and traffic disruptions, as noted by the U.S. Army Garrison Italy.
The adverse conditions impacted the ability of employees to reach key base facilities such as the health clinic, commissary, post office, and vehicle registration office, consequently affecting service levels there.
School closures were extended into Thursday, including for the SKIES, CYS, and CDC/SAC youth programs.
The Vicenza exchange and commissary also adjusted their hours for Thursday to 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and health and dental clinics were rescheduling appointments set before 10 a.m., while those after 10 a.m. remained unchanged.
The decision to shut down the on-base educational institutions followed local authorities’ closure of Italian schools in the vicinity.
Garrison spokesperson Rick Scavetta indicated that the closures were a precautionary measure for safety, coordinated between the garrison commander and Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA) officials.
An announcement regarding the reopening of schools was anticipated later on Wednesday. The closure affected schools in several localities including Vicenza, Longare, and others.
Additional rainfall was expected into late Wednesday, with the weather forecast suggesting a potential easing of storms on Thursday, yet predicting more rain into Friday.
