Not even the time to be sure that he had been confirmed as mayor of Sarsina exactly one year ago Enrico Cangini found himself managing the flood emergency. On the night between 15 and 16 May, rain and landslides began which severely hit the municipal area, isolating hamlets for days on end. One year ago today, the first stages of a constant battle against nature began to clear roads, reach people, save animals.
«The counting of the municipal elections was still underway when I was reached by the red alert for the following day which included the precautionary closure of schools – he says -. I said to myself “will I be able to sign the ordinance while the polls aren’t closed yet?”. It was the thought of a second and then I rushed to the Town Hall. I still remember that afternoon. While I was climbing the stairs of the Municipality, I met the good Secondo Zattini who asked me “are you coming to the rosary at the Badia this evening?” and I said “no Second, but please, pray for good weather as there is a red alert”. No sooner said than done! I didn’t have time to rejoice in the re-election before hundreds of millimeters of water fell in the following hours, an unprecedented phenomenon that changed the face of many valleys and which must push us to completely rethink local policies. On the morning of the 16th I wake up at a good pace to go to the Municipality and complete the re-election procedures. Traveling across the Monte Finocchio pass, the first “avalanches” were already starting to be evident. The first call I make is to my colleague Francesca Pondini from Galeata, elected mayor in the same session as me (her for the first time), I congratulate her and ask her what she was doing “ah Enrico I’m going to the Municipality to contact the Protection civil”. Indeed, from that moment on, and for many weeks, we would concentrate 24 hours a day on Civil Protection functions. A tumult of reports and calls: animals to be evacuated, people without electricity, without gas and within a few hours, as in a war bulletin, continuous collapses and road interruptions are reported to us, so much so that it is getting dark and I am not I can’t even go home anymore. My 3-week wandering begins here: the first night I spend on the now famous Bagno Renata camp bed located in the office, the second at the Barocci Retirement Home and then a guest of Filippo Collinelli and Antonella Benedetti. Intense, exhausting weeks, lived in an ups and downs of emotions and fears.”
«Nothing was going”
«The internet wasn’t working – continues Cangini – the telephone wasn’t working, nothing was working! With the maps we began to reconstruct the situation and identify the blocks. Initially we had around 100 citizens to evacuate and over a thousand isolated. “I’m not Bertolaso” I happened to think more than once, but I was lucky enough to be helped by many formidable people who with generosity and competence put themselves at the service of the community in an incredible way: Carabinieri, Foresters, Misericordia, Pro Ranchio site, municipal employees, technicians, Coc and local police. Thus, step by step, between helicopters in flight, families to be evacuated, tankers, fake news on the Quarto dam, Army in action, Fire Brigade and Alpine Rescue, the days fell into place. Vetracchio, Ranchio, Tezzo, Quarto, Chiavezzano, Rullato, Monteriolo, Pieve… there were 436 landslides that involved our territory and which little by little, thanks to local farmers and earthmoving companies, we began to fix, under General Figliuolo’s careful and sensitive direction of the structure. I am convinced that today there is a new awareness of the importance of stemming the depopulation of hilly and mountainous areas and of the reciprocity that exists between territories. The plain is only saved if there is a hill and a mountain that is lived in and manned. A year has already passed, it seems like a lifetime ago, but the generosity and commitment of many citizens of good will will never be forgotten. “There is no good or bad weather, there is good or bad equipment” and as Gianluca Suzzi wrote prophetically on social media on May 15th to thank the voters for the votes received “I will be with you especially in emergencies”. Because one thing is certain. In a changing world, emergencies are around the corner. It is known that we will do it.”
