Abstract
In October 2015, two intense rainfall events hit the central and southern regions of Italy and triggered a combination of different and widespread effects, including floods, landslides, and soil erosion. These outcomes devastated about 68 municipalities of the Benevento province (Campania region), killed two people, and caused millions of euros worth of damage to structures, infrastructures, and agriculture. The town of Benevento was one of the sectors most affected by overflow. Extensive areas characterized by flyschoid outcrops experienced widespread occurrences of soil erosion and landslides, and destructive, high-velocity debris flows (about 50) afflicted areas that had experienced heavy rainfall of higher intensity (total rainfall of 415.6 mm). In this study, the characteristics of these rainfall events and related geomorphological processes were determined by (i) analyzing the available rainfall data to identify the spatial pattern, distribution, and statistical characteristics of the two storms and (ii) mapping the storm effects, such as flooded areas, landslide types, and soil erosion. These effects were then related to the spatial distribution of the storms and the local geological and geomorphologic settings that drove their initiation and development.
Highlights
The frequency of destructive, storm-induced phenomena in the Mediterranean region is increasing, possibly as a consequence of ongoing climate change e.g., [1,2,3,4]
Aronica et al [7] studied the catastrophic event that occurred on 1 October 2009, which induced extensive floods and debris flows on the Ionian side of eastern Sicily and caused 36 deaths in the village of Giampilieri
The Benevento province has an area of about 2000 km2 and is located in the northeastern sector of the Campania Region in Southern Italy
Summary
The frequency of destructive, storm-induced phenomena in the Mediterranean region is increasing, possibly as a consequence of ongoing climate change e.g., [1,2,3,4]. In the last several decades, thousands of victims and huge economic losses worldwide have resulted from landslides and floods induced by intense meteorological events e.g., [5,6]. Studies on these kinds of events and their impact on urbanized environments have increasingly played a pivotal role in hazard evaluation, risk assessment, and mitigation strategies, as well as the safeguarding of human lives. Aronica et al [7] studied the catastrophic event that occurred on 1 October 2009, which induced extensive floods and debris flows on the Ionian side of eastern Sicily (southern Italy) and caused 36 deaths in the village of Giampilieri. Similar events transpired on 25 October 2011 and hit different areas of Italy between eastern Liguria and northern Tuscany, causing 13 fatalities [9]
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