A few weeks on from the flooding of 19 September, when the northern Italian region of Emilia Romagna was struck by its third devastating storm in less than 18 months, the destruction of Traversara is clear. The hamlet, on the banks of the Lamone River about 40 minutes from the regional capital of Bologna, has been all but wiped out.
In its place has come a fraught but urgent debate about insurance coverage for losses from climate-related catastrophes, which until now has remained an unfamiliar concept for most Italians.
Currently just 6% of homes are insured against natural disasters, and 5% of businesses. That, says the government, needs to change.
In Traversara, residents are coming to terms with the brutal reality of their losses. Muddy, waterlogged land is all that remains of an area that contained a cluster of homes that were directly in the path of the powerful torrent of water that flooded the town after the river overflowed its banks. Other homes are filled with debris.
The government has proposed making it obligatory from January for businesses to be insured against natural disasters, a move that has proved particularly unpopular in areas most at risk. There were also hints at extending it to households.
Among the areas in most danger is Emilia Romagna, one of Italy’s wealthiest regions, where some of its best known food is produced and businesses are based. It is paying the heaviest price for severe flooding.
In May 2023, 17 people died in two rounds of floods, when the banks of 20 rivers overflowed and engulfed dozens of cities and towns, causing more than 300 landslides. More than 20,000 people were displaced, while the cost of the damage was estimated at €8.5bn.
Damage from the recent floods, which badly affected several towns, especially in the province of Ravenna, has not yet been quantified.
The European parliament has approved more than €1bn of aid for countries affected by natural disasters in 2023, with Emilia Romagna poised to receive €378.8m and Tuscany €67.8m.
But residents have little faith in their institutions’ ability to get the money to where it needs to go.
As for the obligatory insurance measure, there are fears it could cause businesses to flee while deterring future investment.
In nearby Faenza, which was severely damaged by last year’s flooding, many businesses have closed. Davide, owner of a paint and hardware shop, said he will follow suit if there is another major deluge. “The whole shop was submerged [in the May 2023 flooding]. I paid to fix the damage myself and now they say I have to take out insurance, without them making the region more secure? It’s shameful and I won’t pay it.”