Disaster Without Trauma

The Italian region of Emilia-Romagna has been repeatedly struck by floods and extreme weather events over the past fifteen years. This trend is documented by Legambiente, Italy’s most prominent environmentalist association. In its reports, the association has listed all the major catastrophic events that have occurred in the region since 2010.1 Reviewing the list is striking: as the years have progressed, both the frequency and severity of these events have increased, culminating in the four devastating floods that took place between the spring of 2023 and the autumn of 2024. In addition to causing over ten billion euros in damage, these floods resulted in the loss of eighteen lives.