Hollywood star George Clooney has pledged to help raise £50 million (close to $70 million) for Lake Como, a small Italian village, that was left flooded this week after being struck by a heavy torrential downpour.

The actor was staying at his lakeside property Villa Oleandra in Laglio with his family when mud and debris cascaded through the town, submerging nearby properties. Clooney and his family were among the thousands caught up in the devastating floods that came after 72 hours of torrential rain, which began on July 27 evening, according to the New Musical Express. 

The heavy rain caused the banks of rivers and streams to burst which in turn transformed the road outside of Clooney’s house into a river.

Talking about the disastrous situation in the area, the 60-year-old said to the Italian media: “In Cernobbio the situation is serious and in Laglio it is even worse. I have spoken to the mayor — there will be a lot of work, it will take millions of dollars, but this city is strong. It will react and return better than before. This is a very resilient city.”

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The flooding was so bad that Lagilo mayor Roberto Pozzi had to order people in high-risk zones to evacuate. Around Lake Como, firefighters rescued 60 people, with approximately 50 inhabitants trapped in their homes when a landslide triggered a gas leak in Brienno, on the lake’s western coast.

According to a Times report, Pozzi said that the recovery could take years and would cost millions of euros. “Anyone arriving in Laglio will have been tearing out their hair for the gravity of the situation,” he said. “Something like half a million cubic metres of material have crashed on to the town.” 

He further added that the flooding has left 60 people homeless and officials estimate the total damage to be around £50million.

Talking about Clooney’s initiative, Pozzi told The Sun: “Through his contacts George has promised to help us reconstruct and rebuild. His help shows just how much he has our village in his heart.

You could see he was deeply touched and he wanted to know how he could help.”