Rescue crews worked to reach towns and villages in northern Italy still isolated by heavy rains and flooding, as the death toll rose to at least 13 and authorities began mapping out cleanup and reconstruction plans.

The extreme weather behind this week’s disaster – a prolonged drought punctuated by 36 hours of intense rainfall, two weeks after another downpour – led to two dozen rivers bursting their banks.

The force of water sent torrents of mud tearing through entire towns in Emilia-Romagna, flooding storefronts and basements.

Local mayors warned that some remote villages were still completely cut off because landslides had made roads impassable and phone service remained severed.

Aljazeera.