Two people have died as the highest water levels for over 50 years, The Guardian reported. 

After the maximum rise in sea level to 187 cm over the past half century, which led to the flooding of 80% of the territory of the Venice island, including St. Mark’s Cathedral, on Wednesday, the level dropped to safe 80 cm. Many schools, most museums and some public institutions remain closed.

As Italian PM Giuseppe Conte, who visited Venice, announced that during the day the Council of Ministers will meet to declare a state of emergency due to natural disasters. “We ask the government to help us. This is the result of climate change,” he said, putting the damage in the hundreds of millions of euros.

Specialists from the Culture Ministry will begin assessing damage to St. Mark’s Cathedral, where the crypt was flooded as soon as access is provided, the department said. 

City and regional authorities say hundreds of millions of damages from high water, some media cite the sum of up to € 1 billion. Solidarity was expressed to the inhabitants of Venice in other areas, whose heads offered help in the aftermath of the flood.