The drone flying over Donnici Inferiore, in the province of Cosenza in Calabria, returns a breathtaking image: the hill above the houses is literally crumbling. The wound in the ground is large, irregular, alive. The incessant rains of recent weeks have saturated the soil until it gives way. It is not an isolated episode, but the most evident point of a crisis that is bringing the entire territory to its knees.
On the afternoon of February 18, the images from above show the extent of the landslide in the Colli area: portions of land sliding towards the valley, vegetation dragged down, houses observing a disturbing scene from above. Here the fear that what is happening in Niscemi will happen is real.
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Four landslides and a territory under pressure
There are four landslides recorded in the hamlet of Donnici, in the municipality of Cosenza. The one in Contrada Colli is the most impressive, but not the only one. The ground, made fragile by over a month of almost continuous rainfall, continues to give way in several places.
The municipal Civil Protection, together with the regional ProCiv and the Fire Brigade, patrol the area non-stop. We monitor, we measure, we study. Intervening immediately is complex: in-depth hydrogeological surveys will be needed to understand the extent of the instability and plan any safety works.
Orange alert and schools closed
As if that wasn’t enough, the rain started falling again with force. The orange weather alert remains active for the next few hours on the entire Tyrrhenian side. Schools remained closed in several centers of the province, including Cosenza and Rende. The invitation from the authorities is clear: limit travel and pay maximum attention, especially near slopes and waterways.
The rainfall, fueled by the cyclones that hit Calabria, recorded exceptional accumulations: over 260 millimeters of rain in 48 hours in some areas. Numbers that explain why the ground is no longer able to absorb.
Road conditions haywire and rivers under observation
The critical situation does not only concern Donnici. In the capital Cosenza, a chasm has opened in the Massa district, while the Crati, Busento and Campagnano rivers are under close surveillance. Campagnano has already exceeded its banks in some sections between Rende and Cosenza.
Roads blocked, secondary connections compromised, state roads closed due to landslides. The province faces a widespread emergency, with the knowledge that the next few hours will be decisive. In Donnici, meanwhile, eyes remain focused on that hill that continues to crumble, a fragile symbol of a territory that requires rapid and structural responses.
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