Emilia-Romagna bad weather: relief activities continue to support the affected populations

The intervention of the National Service of Civil Protection in Emilia-Romagna to support regional structures and local systems working to cope with the emergency after the severe weather emergency that has been affecting, in particular, the provinces of Bologna, Forlì-Cesena, and Ravenna since May 15 continues. According to data provided by the Region, there are 41 municipalities affected by flooding, while more than 280 landslides are currently registered, 120 of which are particularly important, in 58 municipalities.

The Operational Committee continues to be permanently convened since the evening of May 16 at the headquarters of the Civil Protection Department to ensure, in conjunction with the Emilia-Romagna Regional Operations Center, with the CCS-Centers for Rescue Coordination activated by the Prefectures and with the Municipal Operations Centers, all the necessary interventions to guarantee, in this phase, priority search, rescue and assistance for the people involved.

At the moment, there are 8 victims ascertained by the Prefectures. Thousands evacuated people who are currently finding independent accommodation with relatives and friends or in facilities made available in the territory.

The road system, especially at the provincial level, remains severely compromised, as do the preparatory activities for the interventions that, as soon as possible, should lead to the restoration of the thousands of electrical disconnections and telephone interruptions.

A total of more than 4,900 people from the Fire Department, Coast Guard, Police Forces, Armed Forces, civil protection volunteer organizations and regional mobile columns, and companies that provide essential services are operating in the territory, with more than 1,000 vehicles deployed. They are supplemented by hundreds of technicians, officials from municipalities, provinces and prefectures, other territorial bodies and the Emilia-Romagna civil protection structure.

In particular, in support of the most affected municipalities there are more than 500 units of the mobile columns of the Friuli Venezia Giulia, Lazio, Lombardy, Piedmont, Tuscany, Umbria, Veneto Regions and the Autonomous Provinces of Trento and Bolzano and more than 250 volunteers activated by 18 different national volunteer organizations. Also on the field, the 700 volunteers from the 9 Coordinations of Emilia-Romagna.

For tomorrow, Thursday, May 18, although no rainfall is expected, the Emilia-Romagna Region has confirmed a red alert over the whole of Romagna, the plains of Bologna and Modena, and the mountain hills of central Emilia and Bologna for continued high flooding on all valley sections of watercourses in the central-eastern sector of the region, while an orange alert is in effect over the plains and coast of Ferrara.

Photo source: Emilia-Romagna Region