Emilia Romagna, flood, one year later: the first thought for the 17 victims. The balance of what the Region has done

Flood, one year later. In these twelve months, Emilia-Romagna has had to deal with irreparable losses – the victims, seventeen people – e 8,5 billion in certified damages to the European Union, due to the unprecedented rainfall and resulting landslides and flooding in May 2023. Danni to private individuals, to infrastructures, to businesses, to the agricultural sector. Tens of thousands of them displaced.

It was “about an unprecedented event in observed history“, since 1921 when hydrological data began to be collected, we read in the conclusions of the Technical Commission coordinated by Professor Armando Brath and composed of external experts, appointed by the Region to analyze what happened. “One watershed between past and future since sector of the hydraulic and hydrogeological defense of the territory".

Work began immediately: on the public goods front thousands of interventions (completed, underway or planned) to secure rivers, roads and population centres. With the commitment to rebuild no longer as before, but according to criteria that take into account the changed climatic and environmental context, in a close discussion with experts (Universities), representatives of the institutions and the productive world.

We are working on Special plan final, which will be approved by the commissioner structure by June. It will include the updating of the first lines of intervention and the integration of the projects identified on the main, secondary and reclamation hydrographic network and on the foothills, hilly and mountainous slopes. Everything will be shared with the most affected territories. The first meeting was held today, Friday 10 May, with mayors and technicians of the Metropolitan City of Bologna; the other two are scheduled for Tuesday 14 (municipalities of Ravenna) and Wednesday 15 (municipalities of the province of Forlì-Cesena). At the same time, the involvement of the Citizens' committees which, precisely in relation to the Special Plans, will also see an expansion to the associative world and other stakeholders in a real participated path.

The Region's initiatives for the anniversary: ​​the book, the exhibition, the event in Faenza

It is called “What Matters – Ten Portraits One Year After the Flood in Emilia-Romagna” il volume with photographs of Marco Onofri, the preface of Daria Bignardi and the stories (ten, in all) edited by the Information and Communication Agency of the Regional Council. A collection of faces and stories twelve months after the tragic events of last May: it will be presented in the Region, in Bologna, Monday May 13, at the same time as the inauguration of the exhibition with Onofri's photos.

And then a great event to say "thank you" to all those who intervened immediately in the emergency phase and even afterwards, who worked with unique generosity and commitment, coming from all over the country, also allowing human lives to be saved: Civil Protection , institutions (starting from mayors and prefects), state forces, the world of volunteering. The appointment with “Flood, one year later. A day to say thank you" is Saturday June 15 a Faenza (Ra), al PalaCattani, in the heart of the most wounded territory. It will be an opportunity, therefore, to show all our gratitude to those who played a fundamental role in managing the emergency and to those who are still working today to restore the damage, secure the territory and fully return to normality.

Resources

The first aid: CAS (Contribution for independent accommodation) and CIS (Immediate support contribution)

Un Contribution for independent accommodation (Cas), to support those who had lost their homes due to floods or landslides. It is the first measure made possible with the funds of the Civil Protection ordinances signed by the Extraordinary Government Commissioner who, immediately after the events of May 2023, had been indicated to the President of the Region for the management of the emergency. From the following August, the Cas then became the responsibility of the Extraordinary Commissioner for Reconstruction, also appointed by the Government, General Figliuolo; had been paid up to that point 7,6 million euro (7.637.342 euros) to over 9 thousand families (9.371).

For cis (Immediate support contribution) the disbursement of contributions is still in progress: 23.665 advances paid so far (3mila euro each), for a total amount of 70 million and 995 thousand EUR. The total of the balances instead is equal to 17.514, for a total amount of 31 million e 930mila EUR. These are the numbers of the immediate support contribution (CIS), provided for by the order of the head of the Civil Protection Department, Fabrizio Curcio (n. 999 of 31 May), shared with the President of the Region. A measure intended for families whose main home was flooded or directly affected by landslides and mudslides, making it unusable. Financed through the resources of National Emergency Fund of the Department, the CIS has foreseen a first payment of 3 thousand euros (deposit), which the citizen has undertaken to definitively report for the request for the balance. The overall amount of this first compensation, in fact, can reach up to 5mila euros, More further 750 euros as a contribution to the expenses related to the preparation of the sworn appraisal. The reimbursement covers the costs of cleaning and removing water, mud and debris, interventions on structural and plant elements, furniture, household appliances, but also - for the first time in a disaster situation - the purchase of clothing, dishes and utensils, and any educational material for the children. Un virtuous operation, because first the mechanism of immediate advance of the money and then the balance with reporting was used by the national Department at the request of the Region, whose president was then Emergency Commissioner. Given the urgency, we worked to debureaucratize the procedures as much as possible: it was sufficient to submit an application for a deposit, the Municipality had to certify that the applicant lived in a flooded area to allow the payment of the money.

“A help for Emilia-Romagna”: the Region's fundraising campaign    

Over 52 million of euros donated. That's a lot “Aid for Emilia-Romagna”, the fundraising started immediately by the Region, to which many people responded generously, together with associations, businesses, artisans, companies, trade unions, economic and professional categories, religious orders and confessions, large industrial groups, companies and representatives of all sectors , from culture to sport.

The following link the use of each euro collected is reported, as funded initiatives and projects are defined. Of the over 52 million, 27 million are the total package of contributions for those who have had the vehicle – car, motorcycle, moped – destroyed, or even just damaged, by the flood. At the moment approximately 5.600 requests for contributions for almost 19 million of Euro; already liquidated more than 5,5 million euro.

Out of the total amount donated, 5 million have been assigned to the Municipalities for families e people in difficulty; 5,1 million   companies; Almost 10 million ai citizens and families also to reimburse costs for the construction of protection systems such as bulkheads and barriers e 5,4 million of euros to restore infrastructure for young people, sport e spaces of culture.

Agriculture

Almost 1 billion euros in damages: it is the "bill" of the May 2023 flood for the regional agricultural system. THE funds which we have been able to count on so far for the agricultural sector are one third of the direct and indirect damages ascertained, and amount to 325 million euro. 106 million have been allocated to the Solidarity Fund of the Italian Regions. With law 100/2023, 50 million euros were made available for damage to plant production through the national AgriCat platform, and 50 million euros for livestock and landslide damage. Furthermore, the European Crisis Fund, co-financed by the Government, has made available another 100 million euros: with these resources, the national paying agency Agea has already made payments for a total of 99 million to agricultural businesses. There Region, for his part, he guaranteed 21 million euro by the Rural Development Program for the productive restoration of soils.

Tourism

In the aftermath of the flood that hit a large part of the territory and especially Romagna, the Region, allocating resources for over 950 thousand euro, it immediately equipped itself to to invite e welcome tourists for the summer season, absolutely insecurity. We started with a series of campaigns, aimed mainly at the German market, together with Apt Servizi, among which "Nichts liegt näher!” (Nothing closer!), programmed in co-branding with Wetter.com (the most famous German weather forecast site) on the national TV channels PRO 7 and SAT 1. Among the other financed campaigns, the one on spas, on amusement parks and on the Pink Night.

Construction sites: rivers and roads

From the first very urgent interventions on the river banks to the consolidation works on the unstable slopes close to the inhabited areas, up to the improvement of the flow conditions of the watercourses. We continue to work tirelessly in the areas affected by last May's flood: overall, they are 402 i yards headed by the Regional Agency for Territorial Security and Civil Protection affecting the affected provinces of Ravenna, Forlì-Cesena, Rimini, Bologna, Ferrara, Modena e Reggio Emilia. Of these, 130 have already been completed, 158 those in progress e 114 in planning. All for a total investment of approximately 343 million of euros, including emergency sums, emergencies, advance regional planning and programming from other sources.

- interventions di great urgency headed by the Regional Agency for Territorial Security and Civil Protection are in all 66 for over 97 million euros (orders 6 and 19 of the Extraordinary Commissioner). Three interventions (for around 3 million) are under construction, all the others have already been completed.

- urgent interventions on rivers, all in progress, always in the hands of the Agency, are 152 for over 137 million (orders 8 and 15 of the Extraordinary Commissioner). They will be added to these further 56 interventions for a total amount of about 140 million.

Sul dedicated website, all information, the acts and ordinances, the map of the construction sites and the series of video created that tell (through the technicians) the work done along the river banks. Four further videos are also online, relating to Index, Sillaro, I snore e Savio/Borello.

In addition to the Agency for Territorial Security and Civil Protection, there are others 298 interventions (of which 148 have already been completed) of hydraulic defense for 267,5 million of euros always financed by the ordinances of the Commissioner AI Land reclamation consortia. Others 78 interventions are the responsibility of AiPo (Interregional Agency for the Po River) for 39,2 million.

As regards the road connections, the interventions are in everything 3.369, to 793,5 million euros, held by various entities (first of all Municipalities, Metropolitan Cities and Provinces).

May 2023: the forces in the field

They operated daily in the area concerned over 10 thousand units of the National Civil Protection Service, including 1.141 Firefighters, 455 Army and Navy personnel, 926 Carabinieri, 70 Coast Guards, 592 State Police, 159 Guardia di Finanza, 442 Red Cross units, 851 national volunteers (for assistance to the population, scouting and rescue), 764 regional volunteers and others.

I Fire fighters they carried out almost 12 thousand interventions with 350 vehicles (including 6 helicopters); 26 helicopters were provided by Armed forces, together with 109 vehicles, 45 inflatable boats, 22 excavators and 7 motor pumps. There port authorities contributed 3 helicopters, one plane, 2 boats and 12 divers, the 118 with 4 ei helicopters police with 2. The control of the territory has also been strengthened with anti-profiteering teams made up of carabinieri and financial police. These units were supported by technicians and officials from Municipalities, Provinces and Prefectures, from local authorities and from the regional civil protection structure. This led to coordination over 1.300 vehicles and 29 helicopters deployed on the same day.

For the emergency they intervened further 14.300 Civil Protection volunteers, of these approximately half (7.650) of the Emilia-Romagna Coordination. 5.130 volunteers were guaranteed from the 13 regional mobile columns intervened: Tuscany, Lombardy, Marche, Veneto, Liguria, Friuli Venezia-Giulia, Piedmont, Umbria, Lazio, Valle d'Aosta, Abruzzo, Trento and Bolzano. The others 1.520 they refer to national organizations.

With the activation of European Civil Protection Mechanism, offers from 9 member countries were registered in a short time, based on geographical proximity; accept offers from Slovakia, Slovenia, France e Belgium. The Slovak and Slovenian modules reached the affected area on May 22 and began operations at the Magni canal in Ravenna. The French arrived during the night between May 22 and 23 and operated in the same place. The Belgian module, activated later, went to Conselice, flanked by the others that had concluded operations in Ravenna in the meantime. In particular, the following were provided: 38 Slovenian units, 25 Slovak units, 41 French and 14 Belgian. In total 118 men and 55 vehicles.

Assistance to the population

Il The maximum peak of 20 displaced people was reached on 36.600 May; have been activated 54 first reception centers hosted within gyms, schools, civic centers and convents. They joined these 52 accommodation facilities between hotels, farmhouses and B&Bs. Also operational 10 mobile emergency kitchens. From May 19th the green number for emergencies, active 7 days a week from 7am to 8pm, which recorded over 20 thousand calls. Furthermore, the very first support measures were activated immediately: Immediate support contribution (Cis) and Independent accommodation contribution (Cas).