Marche bad weather: operations to deal with the emergency

The Civil Protection Department, Marche Region, Prefectures and the municipalities affected continue to work together to deal with the effects of the strong wave of bad weather that hit the territories of the provinces of Ancona and Pesaro-Urbino on September 15. Activities are primarily focused on searching for the missing, assisting the affected population, cleaning roads and securing the territory, and restoring essential services in some areas. After the state of emergency declared by the Council of Ministers - yesterday, September 16 - the Head of the Department, Fabrizio Curcio, signed today the first Ordinance appointing the President of the Marche Region, Acquaroli, Commissioner Delegate and introduced the first measures to assist the population and manage the affected territories.

Interventions. Organizations of regional volunteers were activated, and the Department coordinated the deployment of resources from the rest of Italy related to the mobile columns of the regions and national volunteer organizations. Specifically, the mobile column of the Emilia Romagna Region is active with special teams and equipment in the municipality of Ostra, where teams from the National Alpine Association are also operating. The mobile column of the Abruzzo Region has arrived in Senigallia with water-scoopers and other means to deal with hydrogeological criticalities. Volunteers from the national organization Misericordie d'Italia are also working in the Province of Pesaro-Urbino. A total of more than 780 volunteers are working in the affected areas.

The civil protection system is active with all its components and operational structures, with hundreds of men among the Fire Brigade, Carabinieri, State Police and Guardia di Finanza dedicated among others to urgent technical rescue activities, securing the territory, anti-shooting.

Roads and essential services. Difficulties remain at the road system requiring the intervention of cleaning the surface. The Rimini-Ancona railway line has been restored, thanks to Rfi interventions, after the interruption due to bad weather. The number of power outages requiring timely interventions by teams of technicians are also substantially reduced.

Department Head Ordinance. Fabrizio Curcio signed the first Civil Protection Ordinance, after the state of emergency declared by the Council of Ministers on Sept. 16. Specifically, the President of the Marche Region is appointed by the ordinance as Commissioner Delegate and is responsible for preparing a plan of urgent interventions involving the relief and assistance of the population involved in the emergency, the removal of situations of further danger, the restoration of public services and infrastructure, waste, rubble and debris management activities and administrative continuity in the territories affected by the event.
In addition, the measure provides for the allocation of self-settlement grants to families whose homes have been destroyed, even in part, or have been evacuated.