By Stefano Ghezzi- The Italian government is preparing to declare a national state of emergency due to the extraordinary weather conditions that have struck Southern Italy in recent days. The issue will be on the agenda of the Council of Ministers meeting scheduled for Monday. During the meeting, the damage assessment report prepared by Civil Protection and the requests from the affected regions will be examined.
The most severe situation has emerged in Sicily.
Violent storms, strong winds and heavy rainfall have caused extensive damage to coastal areas, tourist marinas, beach facilities, roads and local infrastructure. Landslides, flooding and transport disruptions have also been reported in Calabria and Sardinia.
According to initial estimates, total damage in Sicily alone exceeds €1 billion. The President of the Sicilian Region, Renato Schifani, described the events as “the most violent cyclone in recent years, an extraordinary disaster.” Schifani stated that along the Ionian coast, “a wall of water as high as a four-storey building” hit the shore.
The declaration of a state of emergency will allow the mobilization of extraordinary resources, the acceleration of bureaucratic procedures and the rapid launch of emergency interventions in the damaged areas. Civil Protection teams are continuing damage assessments while coordinating response and repair operations in the most heavily affected zones.
Experts warn that extreme weather events are becoming increasingly frequent and stress the need to boost investments in coastal protection and disaster prevention.
Decisions to be taken at Monday’s Council of Ministers meeting are expected to mark a critical turning point for crisis management in Southern Italy.