In October 2010 a rainstorm hit some municipalities in Liguria (NW Italy) resulting in flash floods and debris floods. Rescue operations were carried out without situational awareness due to phone and cellular line failure and civil protection plan deficiency. Relief operations were carried out to recover to previous state with no lesson learned analysis nor legislative upgrade. A window of opportunity opened to fulfill the disaster management cycle theory. On October / November 2011, when a wider event struck both Tuscany and Liguria regions causing 12 fatalities, the situation was, more or less, the same as the past year: the window of opportunity closed without a reduction in risk exposure. After this last event Ligurian Region administration started to re-evaluate hazard mapping and risk assessment methodologies, since debris floods were not considered in official hazard maps and urban planning regulations. But a month later, the temporary building restrictions were reformed to low strict level. Different to Northwest Italy extensive floods of 1994, that led Italy to a new approach to hazard planning and risk evaluation, Liguria 2010 / 2011 events seemed not to involve elected officials, bureaucracy and civil society on the new resilience concept and on the use of the emerging technologies and social media.

1. A missed window of opportunity
Massimo Lanfranco @EC-JRC
Elena Rapisardi @NatRisk-UniTO | Marco Giardino @NatRisk-UniTO
IAEG2014 – 13/09/2014, Turin
Session 7.6 - Resilience 2 Citizens & Citizens 4 Resilience

2. Why speed up?
Communication
and information
during the event
Events triggering
emergencies and
disasters
Agenda
“The last day of Pompeii”. Oil painting by K.P. Brüllow.

3. Varazze event 04/10/2010
• 24 hrs rate: 324 mm
(but as much as 700 mm was reported by citizens)
• 3 hrs rate: 290 mm
• => Return time over 200 yr
But in Liguria is it statistically significant?
Rainfall data from “La Ramognina”

4. Very high rainfall: cloudburst

5. Varazze historical events 1593 - 1915

6. Varazze recent events 1994 - 2010

7. Legislation #1 Basin Plan

8. Legislation #2 Civil Protection Plan

9. Lesson learned
2010 2014

10. Lessons to be learned
1700 2010

12. Disaster cycle
From World Meteorological Organization

13. Disaster cycle revisited
From Walter J. Amman – GRF Davos
PLANNING
CIVIL WORKS
COMMUNICATION
&
INFORMATION

14. Crisis management complexity
 The absence of correct planning in disaster
risk reduction could lead to a failure of the
impact response
 Bad communication will increase the
damage
 Bad information will kill citizens

15. Communication & information
[2010]
Varazze municipality
“crisis room”
[2011]
Genova “blue lights”

16. Communication & information

17. TV BROADCAST IS STILL KING

18. TV BROADCAST IS STILL KING

19. TV BROADCAST IS STILL KING

20. TV BROADCAST IS STILL KING

21. TV BROADCAST IS STILL KING

22. TV BROADCAST IS STILL KING

23. THE DAY AFTER NEWSPAPERS HIGHLIGTHS
NEW TERM: bomba d’acqua [water bomb]

24. 2012

25. Total failure of scientific advisors to engage politicians

26. What to do / what not to do
Australia Varazze
http://www.gentecomunevarazzewordpress.com/

27. citizens
scientists
sensors

28. Thank you!
Contacts:
Massimo Lanfranco
European Commission, Joint Research
Centre (JRC), Institute for the Protection
and Security of the Citizen (IPSC), Global
Security and Crisis Management Unit, Via
Enrico Fermi 2749, 21027 Ispra VA, Italy
Elena Rapisardi
Marco Giardino
NatRisk, University of Torino,
Interdepartmental Centre on natural
hazards in mountain and hilly
environment, Italy, www.natrisk.org
Dept. of Earth Sciences, University of
Torino, Via Valperga Caluso 35, 10125
Torino, Italy