The 28th anniversary of the Flood in Versilia. Verona: «Never lower your attention to hydrogeological risk»
Almost three decades have passed since the flood in Versilia, but the attention on some issues has not gone away. This was explained by Maurizio Verona, just re-elected mayor of Stazzema for the third term, and veteran of a well-attended information conference at the Palazzo della cultura in Cardoso, in which the mayors Lorenzo Alessandrini of Seravezza and Bruno Murzi of Forte dei Marmi were also present . Conference in which the problem of beach erosion was examined by professors of the University of Pisa in the earth science department, Giovanni Sarti and Monica Bini, a phenomenon closely linked to the abandonment of forests which, if more thinned out and maintained, could compensate for the removal of sand with a greater input of sediment into waterways.
The mayor of Verona
«The one in the woods – explained the mayor Maurizio Verona – it is a complex problem to face and resolve: the uncultivated land belongs to private individuals and the abandoned land is a constant threat to the territory. This is why it is important to keep alive the memory of the tragedy that struck Versilia in ’96, to be close to the community and family members who suffered losses 28 years ago. But above all, stimulate and convince the institutions to prevent other dangerous events.”
There were 14 victims of the flood in Versilia: 12 in Cardoso, overwhelmed by the water and mud that destroyed the entire town and the valley below, canceling almost all the roads and interrupting all the connection lines; there was another victim in Montiscendi and yet another in Fornovolasco.
Ceremony on the morning of June 19th, at 10.00 am, at the primary school in Pollino with the laying of a laurel wreath in memory of Alessio Ricci, one of the two youngest victims of the flood. At 1.45pm, another wreath will be placed in Cardoso at the monument commemorating the victims of that town, and there will be the presence of the authorities and representatives of the four municipalities of historic Versilia. From 6.40 pm the second part of the initiatives on the calendar: at Cinquale, at the mouth of the Versilia river, the Relay of Memory will start in collaboration with Atletica Pietrasanta Versilia. At 7.30 pm the relay runners reached Pietrasanta in the locality of La Rotta, in the San Bartolomeo area where the river broke the embankment and flooded many homes. At 7.55 pm the relay runners reach Marzocchino (Seravezza) where a laurel wreath is placed in memory of Valeria Guidi. Finally the caravan of memory, with the torch in hand, in Piazza Carducci in Seravezza and then in Ruosina in Piazza della Vittoria, finally in Pontestazzemese the arrival of the Staffetta. From here begins the silent torchlight procession of the citizens and arrives at 10pm in Cardoso with the Holy Mass. At the same time, the crest of Mount Forato was illuminated with 14 torches (one for each victim) by the Snowmen and the Querceta Alpine and Speleological Rescue Service.
The mayor of Verona
«The memory of certain historical and natural events must never decay into oblivion, because it serves to avoid repeating the same mistakes – explains mayor Maurizio Verona -. It is certain that ’96 was an exceptional event, but it highlighted that our territory did not have an adequate hydraulic axis and at the same time that we had an overly uncultivated forest that represented a danger. On the first aspect it must be said that a great job was done for which the Tuscany Region in its president and the competent councilors, the mayors of the time and the citizens who immediately committed themselves to the reconstruction should be thanked. One of all to thank is undoubtedly Franco Barberi, then undersecretary of Civil Protection. The way they worked was an exemplary model of reconstruction for our country. However, there is an aspect that still represents a problem for our territory, and represents it as we saw in last Saturday’s conference for the whole of Versilia, from the beach to the Apuan Alps”.
Matteo Baudone, journalist. He was born in Pietrasanta in 1984.
