Coastal areas in Calabria, Sicily and Sardinia devastated by severe weather.
Cyclone Harry, a powerful Mediterranean storm, has wreaked havoc in Italy’s southern Calabria region as well as on the islands of Sardinia and Sicily, particularly in coastal areas.
The extreme weather has caused extensive damage to roads, buildings and infrastructure, with flooding, landslides and the evacuation of dozens of families from their homes. There have been no reports of fatalities.
Firefighters have responded to more than 1,600 incidents in the three regions over the past few days, with some rescue operations being carried out by dinghy due to the high water levels which have submerged cars and flooded ground-floor buildings.
The most affected areas are Catania and Catanzaro, in Sicily and Calabria respectively, where schools and public offices have been closed.
Viral footage showed massive waves surging into streets in coastal towns, sending people fleeing, destroying a section of the coastal road at Santa Teresa di Riva, near Messina.
In the area round the Sicilian city of Catania waves reached heights of nearly 10 metres. These surges collapsed promenades, sank fishing boats and destroyed seaside infrastructure.
In the Sicilian seaside village of Punta Secca, the Enzo a Mare restaurant, a location made famous by the TV series Inspector Montalbano, suffered extensive damage, while the Anticaglie beach was completely destroyed.
The storm system, which intensified between 18 and 21 January, brought a record-breaking rainfall, gale-force winds and massive storm surges.
Weather stations recorded staggering totals, with San Sostene in Calabria seeing a peak of almost 570 mm in just 72 hours.
In Sicily and Sardinia, torrential rain triggered widespread flash flooding and landslides.
The cyclone forced the suspension of almost all ferry links to minor islands, leaving communities such as Pantelleria and the Pelagie Islands isolated. Major road arteries, including the SS 114 in Sicily and the SS 195 in Sardinia, were closed due to flooding and debris, while regional rail travel was also interrupted.
In Sicily alone, regional authorities estimated storm damage to exceed €500 million, with agriculture and coastal tourism businesses bearing the brunt of the destruction.
The Calabria regional director of the civil protection department, Domenico Costarella, described the cyclone as a “once-in-a-century event”.
While the most intense phase of the storm has passed, local authorities remain on high alert as they begin the long process of clearing debris and restoring essential services to the battered coastal towns.
Photo MeteoWeb
