Bad weather, evacuations underway in Pianoro. The Apennines at risk of landslides, a task force in Bologna to check buildings-canals

The mayor of Pianoro has ordered the evacuation of the houses on the lower floors in the area already hit by the flooding of last week. Meanwhile, in Bologna a task force of experts has been created that will have to verify the usability of buildings and canals

BOLOGNA – Preventive evacuations also in Pianoro, in the province of Bologna, hit hard by the last two floods in the Bologna area. The decision was made this morning by Mayor Luca Vecchiettini. “The forecast models made available by the Region for today deliver a picture of great uncertainty given by rainfall on the Apennine ridges – explains the mayor of Pianoro, through social media channels – for this reason several Municipalities of the metropolitan city have adopted precautionary measures. We have therefore issued an order to evacuate the basements and ground floors of buildings already affected by flooding on 19 and 20 October”. Schools, parks, cycle/pedestrian paths have also been closed and sports activities have been suspended. Today in the Pianoro area, 116 Civil Protection operators are at work, adds the mayor, “who will continue to operate in the affected areas until their safety is guaranteed”. A further contingent of 34 volunteers from Friuli Venezia Giulia is expected to arrive in the afternoon. Firefighters and law enforcement are also involved in the area. The municipal operations center will continue to be active 24 hours a day.

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Meanwhile in the Apennines the landslide continues to advance in the Ca’ di Sotto area, in San Benedetto Val di Sambro. “Unfortunately, in the early hours of this morning, the foot of the evolving landslide reached the Sambro torrent drain – explains Mayor Alessandro Santoni – at the moment all the forces present on site are working to try to safeguard the flow of the Sambro torrent, which is currently functioning. At the same time, an alternative pumping system is being studied to be put into operation in the event that the water flow system were to go into crisis”.

TASK FORCE FOR CANALI-EDIFICI HABITABILITY IN BOLOGNA IS UNDERWAY

A task force has been created in Bologna to verify the stability of canals and buildings following the damage caused by the flood in recent days. This was announced by the Councilor for Public Works, Simone Borsari, in response to a question from Fdi representative Francesco Sassone in the City Council today. The Municipality of Bologna, the Emilia-Romagna Region, the Fire Brigade and the Regional Civil Protection “have set up a working group to start an urgent survey of the buildings, canals and streams of Bologna following the damage caused by bad weather in recent days”, explains Borsari. First, “inspections will be carried out on possible situations of unusability reported to the Municipality”, in public and private properties near buried streams and canals. Afterwards, “a new risk mapping will be built through a broad survey of the entire structure of buried streams”.
If necessary, the consortia and basin authorities will also be involved. Following these findings, “we will intervene based on the type and severity of the situation assessed by the working group”. The councilor then reiterates that “there is no correlation” between the canal discovered in via Riva Reno and the damage caused by the flood in recent days, “contrary to what has been artfully circulated in an irresponsible manner in recent days”. As for via Sabotino, he confirms that at the moment “safe reopening” has been assessed, albeit with some limitations, while further checks will be carried out in the coming days as soon as the weather conditions allow it. “What the councilor says confirms in fact that up until yesterday nothing has been done – Sassone contests – except on that stretch of Ravone that was covered in via Saffi”.