The new evacuation drill “Exe Flegrei 2024” has concluded, which began yesterday with the first alert across the Campania region using IT-Alert to simulate a presumed eruption of the Phlegraean Fields.
Before the actual start of the exercise, the Vesuvius Observatory recorded a 2.5 magnitude tremor at dawn today, while yesterday evening a seismic event of magnitude 2.3 occurred near the Solfatara Variant.
There was excellent participation from citizens who actively participated in the simulations in all the red zone areas.
Phlegraean Fields, exercise today: the numbers in Naples
Yesterday, a total of 1,500 registered participants, a certainly partial sample compared to the total population that would be affected by a potential eruption of the caldera, estimated at 481,000 people. For the Municipality of Naples, the number of citizens who participated in the Exe-Flegrei 2024 volcanic risk exercise was 301 participants, including 5 companion animals.
Pasquale Di Pace, head of the Civil Protection of the Municipality, made an initial assessment. «The exercises involve citizens, but also the Civil Protection machinery. Certainly, more can be done, communicating more and more to involve the residents who are the fundamental actors, also through associations and parishes that are already supporting us. We will continue to carry out exercises, possibly testing self-evacuation, which is the other possible mode of departure along with the assisted one that was the focus of today's exercise,» assures Di Pace.
For the Municipality of Naples, 301 people participated in the volcanic risk exercise, plus five companion animals, 54 more people than the 247 who had registered in recent days.
Considering the 4 gathering areas in the Municipality, participation was divided as follows: 3 buses departed with 139 citizens and 4 animals (from Bagnoli), 2 buses with 60 citizens (from Soccavo), 2 buses with 89 citizens and 1 animal (from Fuorigrotta), one bus and 13 citizens (from Chiaiano).
Numbers from the provinces
Within the evacuation exercise of the Phlegraean Fields, participation exceeded expectations and it was necessary to print additional registration forms on-site. Elderly, children, and some people needing assistance boarded the buses.
«Six buses left from Bacoli towards the meeting area in Giugliano, about 200 people, it's a great result. Many people joined who had not registered for the exercise in the previous days,» says the mayor of Bacoli Josi Della Ragione about the exercise. The mayor of the Phlegraean municipality recalled that at the last exercise, which took place in 2019, only three citizens from Bacoli participated.
Ciciliano's comment
«There was a tremendous response from the citizens of the seven municipalities in the red zone. The message evidently got through,» Fabio Ciciliano, head of the Civil Protection department, is satisfied with the participation in the evacuation drills that concluded this morning in the Phlegraean Fields after four days of exercises related to a hypothetical volcanic emergency, which would require the evacuation of about 600,000 residents. Simulated eruption, fortunately, but with real earthquakes: after weeks of relative calm, the ground uplift resumed, with a 3.2 magnitude quake last night and a 2.5 magnitude replica this morning. A demonstration, if needed, of how the underground volcano of the Phlegraean Fields continues to pose a potential danger, to be addressed with prevention and preparation. Today, 1,500 citizens took part in the day by going to the gathering points to receive clarifications and information, many more than those who participated in the previous exercise in 2019.