The storm 72 hours ago only grazed us. Initially, eighty-three Sardinian municipalities were in the "red zone," but only five were hit and suffered damage. Things were much worse in Corsica, which suffered two deaths, collapses, and thousands of evacuees. This time, in short, we were lucky; these are certainly not flawed forecasts or exaggerated warnings. Next time, who knows what might happen?

"These are the effects of climate change. We're going from one extreme event to another, and we need to be prepared," explains Mauro Merella, Director General of the Regional Civil Protection Department. "We've gone from this summer's extreme temperatures, repeated heat waves, and the absence of the Mistral wind, to precipitation. And we have to deal with paradoxes like the water crisis and the simultaneous heavy rains. The absurdity is that while the Maccheronis dam is half empty, in recent days it has rained heavily along the coast: if the water had fallen just a few kilometers away, it would have been a godsend for the basin and there wouldn't have been the problems we experienced in Baronia."

"We conduct constant monitoring with ARPAS," Merella continues, "and as soon as we see critical events approaching, like those of last Wednesday and Thursday, when thunderstorms were expected across the entire region, with greater intensity in the eastern sector, we implement a series of actions. Essentially, we convene the mayors of the affected municipalities, the prefects, every single component of the system, Forestas, and the volunteers. Then we monitor the evolution of the phenomenon. It's not always easy, things are constantly changing, but everyone must be ready to do their part and make the necessary decisions, such as closing schools or certain roads, sports facilities and parks, or organizing reception facilities and special measures for the most vulnerable and disabled people. Fortunately, this event, which started with the worst possible prospects, has taken a turn for the worse."

Sardinia is a land at high risk of hydrogeological disasters. 87% of its municipalities are potentially at high risk, 122,000 people live in unsafe areas, 1,900 kilometers of roads are subject to landslides, 58,000 buildings, and 10,000 businesses are exposed.