Italy has declared a state of emergency across its southern regions after a violent storm last week caused damage estimated at over €1 billion ($1.19 billion). The severe weather brought relentless rain, powerful winds, and waves up to nine metres high, battering Sicily, Sardinia, and Calabria for two days.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government has set aside an initial €100 million for immediate relief, Civil Protection Minister Nello Musumeci confirmed. He added that a new interministerial measure would be adopted to fund restoration and reconstruction of damaged infrastructure.
Sicily alone suffered around €740 million in damage, but Governor Renato Schifani warned the final figure could double. The sea flooded streets near Taormina, wrecking wastewater treatment facilities and raising concerns for the tourist season. In Catania, a section of seafront sidewalk collapsed. Land subsidence, likely triggered by the storm, threatens the town of Niscemi, forcing around 1,000 residents to evacuate.
Sardinia was also badly hit; the mayor of Capoterra reported the sea pushed about 100 metres inland. In Calabria, the storm caused major damage to agriculture, with serious repercussions for the rural economy in one of Italy's least developed areas.
No casualties were reported, as locals heeded regional civil protection alerts and stayed indoors. Extreme weather events have become more frequent in Italy in recent years, with floods devastating cities and increasing risks of landslides even in historically less exposed areas.
