April 6th 2009: the Abruzzo earthquake
Ten years ago the Abruzzo earthquake occurred. In this section You will find information in depth about the activities carried out during the emergency by the Department
Data reported in these sections refer to the Department’s emergency management period.
On April 6th, 2009 a violent earthquake hit Abruzzo and the province of L’Aquila. The earthquake had a magnitude of 5.9 on the Richter scale, a moment magnitude of 6.3 and a depth of 8.8 km. The earthquake caused 309 victims and more than 1500 injured people. The earthquake also heavy damaged public, private structures and the cultural heritage of the area.
A decree of the President of the Council of Ministers declared the state of emergency and appointed the Head of the Civil Protection Department as Deputy Commissioner until December 2009.
The charge is then extended until January 31st 2010, and in February 2010 the management is assumed by the new Deputy Commissioner, the President of the Abruzzo Region.
The new emergency management Structure, managed by the President of the Abruzzo Region in February 2010 appointed as Deputy Commissioner was carried out together with a technical structure of the Civil Protection Department until the end of February 2010. Activities such as the realization of temporary housing units and temporary school modules were competence of the Department.On March 31st 2010 the management of all the buildings of “Progetto Case” is carried out by the municipality of L’Aquila. After April 6th, 2009 the Department managed the National Civil Protection bank account’s donations.
The state of emergency ended on August 31, 2012, as established by Article 67 bis of Decree Law No. 83 of 22 June 2012, converted with amendments into Law No. 134 of 7 August 2012.
In order to allow the hand-over to the competent administrations, the Commissioner Delegate and the Mission Structure for expropriation activities for reconstruction, all offices, structures, commissions and any other body supporting the Commissioner Delegate continued to operate until September 15th 2012.
From September 16, 2012, the reconstruction and any intervention necessary to facilitate and ensure the return to normal living conditions in the areas affected by the earthquake are managed according Constitution’s Articles 114 et seq. in order to ensure as a matter of priority the complete return to home of the beneficiaries, the restoration of functions and public services, the attractiveness and the economic and social development of the concerned areas, with particular attention to the historical center of the city of L'Aquila.
Two special Offices for the reconstruction, one responsible for the city of L'Aquila and one for the remaining municipalities have been established using the public resources for the population hit by the earthquake. The Ministerial Presidency's Department for the Development of Territorial Economies coordinates the central administrations involved in the processes of reconstruction and development in order to address these special Offices, in partnership with the Abruzzo Region and local athorities, the associations and trade organisations present in the territory.
With the ordinance of the Head of the Civil Protection Department n. 20 of September 20, 2012 the municipalities of the "seismic zone" in Abruzzo and those of L'Aquila, Teramo and Pescara are identified as ordinary competent administrations to complete the administrative procedures for emergency occupations and expropriations.