As floodwaters reach near-record levels in Venice, Italy, a state of emergency was declared.
The mayor referred to the floods as "apocalyptic" on Wednesday after waters reached the second-highest levels on record in the city.
According to a report on NBC News, roadways were turned into "raging torrents" and boats and gondolas were smashed against moorings during the "acqua alta." Floodwaters reached 6 feet 2 inches late Tuesday night, which nearly matched the flooding in 1966, which was measured at 6 feet, 4 inches.
Venice's mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, faulted climate change for the disaster as these ongoing floods continue to plague the city.
"Venice is on its knees," said Brugnaro. "The damage will run into hundreds of millions of euros."
St. Mark's Square, one of the city's most iconic attractions, was submerged by more than three feet of water, and St. Mark's Basilica flooded for the sixth time.
"The Basilica is suffering structural damage because the water has risen and so it's causing irreparable damage," said Venice Archbishop Francesco Moraglia.
Water levels started to recede after the tides peaked just before midnight, but storms continue to batter Venice and Italy as a whole.
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