The devastation of the waters has repeatedly hit the Veneto. Taking as a watershed the disastrous flood of 2010 which brought half the region to its knees, particularly targeting Vicenza and Padua, were at least four catastrophic events that have scourged the territory without sparing any province: 2010, precisely, the storm Go, l’Acqua Granda and the apocalyptic hailstorms of last summer. The total amount of danni reaches the stratospheric figure of 3 billion and 700 million euros. How many refreshments have arrived? Less than half: 1 billion and 760 million euros. Impressive counts to be reconstructed in a drip of stamped papers, angry citizens and entrepreneurs and Municipalities on the brink of default after having advanced millions of euros.
The detail
In detail, the flood of 2010 he scored over one billion in damages, 480 million arrived of euros (plus, but that’s another story, precious funding to build the first flood basins that contained further devastation). The most challenging chapter remains the storm wow of the autumn of 2018 that has upset the Belluno mountains and not only by erasing entire roads and destroying hundreds of thousands of trees. In that case the very high bill has reached over billion and 700 million. In total, 1 billion and one hundred arrived millions. The Acqua Granda of 2019 it mainly concerned the capital and there they were registered 500 million in damages, including lost earnings (320 for public assets alone, 4 for the Basilica of San Marco for example). In this case the compensations arrived approximately 180 million. So far the history of great climate disasters without counting the (then exceptional) event of tornado in the Brenta Riviera in 2015.
Now serial disasters
Then, last summer, one began new phase: repeated disasters, often localized, devastating and increasingly frequent. It is no coincidence that the Region fired 11 decrees for the regional state of emergency in 11 months: July-August 2023, November 2023, February-March 2024, May 2024 and, a few days ago, the one for the tornado in Polesine, the Asiago Plateau and Castelfranco. With one constant: government subsidies are lacking. On the half a billion from the summer hailstorms of 2023they have only come so far 8.5 million compared to an official count of over half a billion. Yet, on this point, the declaration of the national state of emergency necessary for possible access to national and civil protection funds was obtained. As for the latest storms, damage numbers still being defined, they explain in the Region. On November 2023, for example, they are estimated to be higher 137 million in damage to public property. In May estimates speak of 360 million.
New climate and responses
I climate changes they made exceptional events “normal”. And this lengthens procedures also due to the pressure on the human resources of the Region who have to follow the process for requesting help in Rome.
Emergencies are multiplying everywhere and relief is being administered with an eyedropper. In this desolate panorama, the first front remains that of the mayors. «There is a purely economic factor – reasons Mario Conte, mayor of Treviso and president of Anci – but the lack of serenity also indirectly penalizes the territory. Given what is happening, without the necessary guarantees, uncertainty about the future is inevitable. The only way to dispel it is provide timely and timely responses, and I’m obviously talking about refreshments. The weather creates damage, the “non-responses” create another. I wish the state was a little more diligent. Also in financing the last rolling basins. In light of the last period, I believe the philosophical discussions on the topic are over. I think of the Piave which still has no basins. In my small way, next to the Major Cemetery I made an invasion which has already saved the Ghirada area. Even micro interventions like this must be supported for example with co-financing also from the government. For the state coffers, evidently, it would be a good investment for the future”.
