Update of the National Emergency Plan for Campi Flegrei

This dossier is dedicated to the updating of the National Emergency Plan for the Phlegraean Fields, for which since 2012 the Civil Protection Department, on the basis of periodic meetings with the Great Risks Commission, renews the "yellow" alert level which provides for the permanence of the "warning" operational phase.

After a long process of study and analysis, a new red zone has been identified, i.e. the area for which the evacuation is the only preventive measure of the population, and the new yellow zone, that is the area outside the red zone exposed to the significant fallout of volcanic ash and pyroclastic materials. At the same time, twinnings were also redefined with the Regions and the Autonomous Provinces that will host the approximately 500,000 people who will have to be evacuated from the red zone. Both areas were formalized on 19 August 2016, the date of publication in the Official Gazette of the Prime Ministerial Decree containing the "Provisions for the update of the emergency planning for the volcanic risk of the Campi Flegrei". The evacuation plan of the inhabitants of the red zone is being prepared by the Campania Region, with the support of ACaMIR - Agency Campana Mobilità Infrastrutture e Reti, in connection with the municipalities concerned. At present, they have been identified by the Campania Region, as part of the work table activities coordinated by the Department of Civil Protection and composed of all the entities and companies with competence in the management of mobility of national importance, the "meeting areas" and the general strategy for the transfer of the population to the twinned Regions and Autonomous Provinces was defined. These parts of the Plan have been made official with a Deliberation of the Campania Region council on 4 September 2018.

The red Zzne and the yellow zone have been identified by the Civil Protection Department, in agreement with the Campania Region, on the basis of the information provided by the scientific community. The starting point for updating these areas was the final report drawn up by the "Working Group responsible for defining the reference scenario for the Emergency Plan for Volcanic Risk Camps in Campi Flegrei", established in 2009. This document was subjected to the evaluation of the Major Risks Commission - Volcanic Risk Sector which discussed it in several sessions to provide its own guidance to the Department.

The new red zone includes the area exposed to the invasion of pyroclastic flows, and includes the municipalities of Pozzuoli, Bacoli, Monte di Procida and Quarto and some of the municipalities of Giugliano in Campania, Marano di Napoli and some municipalities in Naples: the municipalities 9 (Soccavo and Pianura districts); 10 (neighborhoods Bagnoli and Fuorigrotta) and some portions of the municipalities 1 (neighborhoods of San Ferdinando, Posillipo and Chiaia), 5 (Areas of Arenella and Vomero) and 8 (Chiaiano district).
In order to provide assistance to the population of these municipalities that should be evacuated in the event of an eruption, the Decree of the Prime Minister defines the twinning scheme with the Regions and the Autonomous Provinces. The measure also calls on the members and structures of the National Service of Civil Protection to elaborate or update their respective emergency plans according to the indications of 2 February 2015 that the Head of the Civil Protection Department, in agreement with the Campania Region and heard the Joint Conference, issued for Vesuvius, with the exception of due adaptation to the territory.

In the yellow zone fall the Municipalities of Villaricca, Calvizzano, Marano di Napoli, Mugnano di Napoli, Melito di Napoli and Casavatore and 24 districts of the Municipality of Naples. The definition of this area was based on recent studies and simulations of the ground distribution of volcanic ash and took into account the historical statistics of the wind at high altitude. In particular, on the basis of the probability maps obtained, the areas where the ash accumulation is able to cause the collapse of roofs with medium-low resistance have been identified.

The fallout of volcanic ash can produce, at the local level, both the effects on human health and the significant impact on daily activities in rural areas and in population centers. To counter these effects, municipalities outside the yellow zone will also have to update their emergency schedules, based on the Operative Guidelines provided by the Department.

This dossier will be constantly modified to describe all the phases that will lead to the updating of the National Emergency Plan for the Campi Flegrei. The first page traces the path that led to the revision of the 2001 Plan; the second one explains how the reference event and the alert levels for the update of the emergency planning have been identified; the third describes the steps that led to the redefinition of the red zone; the fourth details the new twinning scheme between Municipalities in the red zone and the Regions and the Autonomous Provinces and in brief explains the evacuation and transfer plan of the population from the red zone; the fifth is dedicated to the new yellow zone.

Latest update: 11 September 2018