Landslides in Maierato

Tuffareo · **Posted:** February 16th, 2010, 12:20 pm

Click on the following and find the article on 'La frana minaccia' and watch the video - 2,000 people evacuated near Vibo Valentia.

http://www.repubblica.it/

finally · **Joined:** July 22nd, 2008, 11:30 pm **Posts:** 141

Oh my goodness, that is so scary, the poor people who are involved in it!!! Calabria is undoubtedly experiencing some extreem weather conditions over recent years. Just watching the trees move down the mountain like match sticks,and how close to the houses which have stood for many many years.

donstenk · **Posted:** February 16th, 2010, 3:56 pm

Our friends Paul and Tom of CMS were in the area when it happened - they are fine thankfully - and took some pictures.

As far as we know no international property developments were affected.

paulmdonnell · **Posted:** February 16th, 2010, 4:41 pm

We were there exactly at the time it was happening.

We were going to collect a bottle of gas for an apartment, only for us going out to the courtyard of the gas company and collecting the gas ourselves, we could have been in that slide.

In my photo below, we just got out of our car and were standing at the edge of the embankment, we had to run back as it was cracking before our eyes, the further we ran back, the more the bank gave way, you wouldn't see in the movies.

Gladly no one was hurt, but I feel terrible for the people of the village, there access roads are gone and they have no way down to their houses. Plus some houses were destroyed.

The base of the cliff is rock, then there were a number of caves embedded into the cliff edge/mountain, on top of this there was just loose soil.
We had very bad rainfall over here for the past few days, so as a result you had this major landslide.

We live to see another day.

Paul & Tom

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Margomac · **Posted:** February 16th, 2010, 5:12 pm

Hi Paul and Tom

That must have been terrifying, but I am so pleased you are both ok and that nobody was hurt.

mags · **Joined:** April 7th, 2008, 10:06 am **Posts:** 188

Paul and Tom
So glad that you are both ok, seems like a miracle that no one was hurt.
Rest to night as you will probably be in shock.
mags

MrsTeapot · **Joined:** December 10th, 2008, 12:30 am **Posts:** 149

Paul and Tom - you had a close call!! Glad to hear you are okay.

What about everyone else? Was anyone hurt? Where will they all live now?

What a nightmare.

margaret · **Joined:** August 6th, 2007, 12:54 am **Posts:** 96

Paul and Tom
Thank goodness neither of you were hurt. It must have been really scary. You'll need a wee drink tonight to help recover.
Margaret

paulmdonnell · **Posted:** February 16th, 2010, 9:11 pm

Thanks folks for all your good wishes and for thinking of us.

We got a bit of a fright, but we are prefect.

All the best,
Paul & Tom

london37 · **Joined:** September 25th, 2008, 6:31 pm **Posts:** 132

BBC video re:mudslide in Southern Italy

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8517378.stm

dgrcgl29 · **Joined:** March 21st, 2008, 3:59 pm **Posts:** 179

Tom and Paul - glad you are both safe and sound.

G.

2noels · **Joined:** March 4th, 2008, 10:42 pm **Posts:** 9

Good luck to you all over there, our thoughts are with you.

BergaKing · **Joined:** March 10th, 2009, 8:08 pm **Posts:** 68

I can understand the flash flood type weather conditions but can anyone enlighten me as to why this part of Italy is so susceptable to these events?
In other parts of the world these can be due to farming methods, land clearance or just the loose topsoil but there are often other factors.

Cheers

MarkG · **Joined:** June 15th, 2009, 1:40 pm **Posts:** 103

Bergerking et ell,
I’m no geologist, this is just what i know and have found out chatting to the locals tonight,its got no bearing on the developments that are built or being built, as far as i know anyway............Bergerking asked so im just giving him and you some local "inland" info.

As some of you may know i live just up the road from Maierato and know the village and its inhabitants well, after all I live over in the next valley. The site where this landslide occurred was (quite few moons ago ill grant you) a sand quarry, now many are under the assumption that most of the area is of rock, mostly it is but not everywhere it’s not, this area where i live and that includes Maierato, Filogaso and Vazzano, Pizzoni, Vallelonga is mainly sand based sub terrain on top of the rock base and the quarrying of sand still continues with gusto, only a half mile from my house is a massive quarry and exports its sand all over the shop.
Now far from saying its the fault of the ex quarry company, the fact that you have a rock base and a huge (up to 200mtr) sand top layer, combine that to the erosion over the years, removal of allot of the Olive trees, and the fact that in this neck of the woods there is no arable farming, plus the advent of the intense weather we have had during the winter months in the last 6 or so years has done no favours to the terrain, as you can imagine, having summer temps hitting 40 for 6 months of the year and then getting what seems to be the equivalent of the entire UK/European rain fall in two months, tends to do some damage.
However the local Calabrians are a resilient lot and will, I’m sure find a way around the current situation at Maierato, as is the way they have always done, i.e., complications ensued, tackled and overcome.
Still love the mountain life mind.

Tom and Paul, Glad you were ok, it is indeed a scary thing to behold, I’ve seen it tonight....awe inspiring just does not do it justice, a miricle is nearer the mark!!!

Cheers
M

Candy · **Joined:** December 6th, 2008, 1:21 am **Posts:** 29

Thank goodness you are both OK. What a frightening thing to happen.

Candy

MrsTeapot · **Joined:** December 10th, 2008, 12:30 am **Posts:** 149

Any update on what is happening in this area since this terrible devastation and what has happened to the villagers?

Landslides in Maierato

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