The July 2020 flood in Palermo was an “exceptional event”, no compensation
The article explains that the flood of July 15, 2020 in Palermo was an unpredictable and exceptional event, for which the Municipality and the publicly-owned company Amap are not responsible. This was determined by Judge Cinzia Ferreri of the fifth section of the Palermo court, who overturned the decision of the magistrate who had granted a woman’s compensation claim.
The judgment states that rainfall gauges recorded between 120 and 134 mm of rain in just two hours, affecting an area of about 12-15 square kilometers. The Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (Ispra) highlighted in their technical report that summer months usually have average rainfall well below 30 mm, with monthly peaks in July not exceeding 40-50 mm. However, during the 3-hour downpour in Palermo, the amount of rain that fell was comparable to the average rainfall for an entire month in the winter period. The Civil Protection service classified the event as a “return period” with an almost 120-year frequency, noting that the rare meteorological event caused the Luparello and Celona channels to flood. Even if the road infrastructure had been designed more carefully from a hydraulic point of view, it would not have been able to withstand the impact of such a large event. Additionally, there was a lack of meteorological alert dissemination by Civil Protection.
The technical consultant identified the causes of the flooding as being the exceptional nature of the meteorological event and the coexistence in the sewer system of both wastewater and rainwater, exacerbated by unauthorized connections. This was further compounded by excessive urbanization decreasing the permeability of the area, as well as natural watercourses from upstream areas like the Passo di Rigano canal and its tributaries, which flow into the municipal sewer system during heavy rainfall. The consultant highlighted that these were statistically rare rains, with a “return period” ranging from 100 to 200 years, and a very low probability of occurring.
L’alluvione del luglio 2020 a Palermo fu un «evento eccezionale», niente risarcimenti
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