An elderly man died during a flood in Italy while talking on the phone with a neighbor

Castel Bolognese, near Bologna, is one of the most affected regions. Credit: LUCA BRUNO/AP

The death toll from devastating floods in Italy has risen to 14 after a story emerged of an elderly man who died while on the phone with a neighbor.

75-year-old Giovanni Pavani refused to leave his house despite the pleas of his neighbour, Marina Giacometti.

She called him to try to convince him to leave his house in the city of Castel Bolognese near Bologna in the hardest hit region of Emilia-Romagna.

“I& #39;I’m cold, so cold,” the pensioner told her over the phone as she tried to keep him in the mood during a 47-minute conversation, Corriere della Sera reported.

Then the line went down or his phone battery ran out. Neighbors called emergency services, but by the time they could get to Mr. Pavani's house, he was dead.

The death toll from flash floods has reached 14 people. Photo: LUCA BRUNO/AP

Stories of suffering and resilience continue to emerge in a vast area hit by heavy rains and floods this week.

The prosperous regions of Emilia-Romagna and the Marche have sizable migrant communities. One Nigerian shoe factory worker said the flooding reminded him of the horror he experienced when he crossed the Mediterranean from the North African coast to Italy in a leaky boat.

Thousands of farms were flooded and flooded. there are pictures of pigs in danger of drowning when the water rises to their snouts.

Thousands of farms are overrun with pigs that could drown. Photo: ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP

Meanwhile, the mayor of one city in the affected region said he and five of his staff were trapped by rising water in their offices two days after the local Santerno River burst its banks.

They came to work to try to deal with the emergency but then found themselves stranded. They had to rummage through the offices looking for food and water bottles.

“When we realized we were going to be stuck for who knows how long, we started rummaging through employee closets and drawers looking for water and snacks,” Enea said. Emiliani, mayor of Sant'Agata sul Santerno. A rubber boat eventually saved them.

The cleanup operation began after heavy rains hit Italy. Emilia-Romagna Region Photo: JENNIFER LORENZINI/REUTERS

On the Adriatic coast, huge stretches of beaches have been destroyed by stormy seas and covered in debris.

A massive clean-up operation is underway throughout the region. Many of the young volunteers armed with shovels who flocked to the area were dubbed «angeli del fango» — «mud angels» by the Italian media.

The coalition government of Georgia Meloni is expected to declare a state of emergency and request funds from Brussels to natural disaster.