Rigopiano, the hotel built on the remains of other avalanches, the risk is already known from the ’91 – The-Century Italy

Two cards hydrogeological dated 1991 already signalled in a clear and unequivocal way the risk of building thehotel Rigopiano just where it was actually built from a previous building. The two official maps of the Region of Abruzzo, ignored, clearly showed that thatthe area was formed by the debris coming down to the valley with avalanches just by the canal which is down at impressive speed, that mass of snow, rock and earth has become thehotel Rigopiano, burying the people inside.

“The risks were known already since 1991, but were ignored – now accuses the Forum H2O – Toarea of Rigopiano the first map produced by the Region
Abruzzo that report critical important is for the period 1989-1991 and was taken as such and, therefore, confirmed by the Regional Council of abruzzo”, in 2007, with the resolution of the regional council (the president was Ottaviano Del Turco) “no.1383, which adopted the Hydrogeological Plan“.

“The two official papers show unequivocally recalls the Forum H2O – hotel Rigopiano is constructed in the centre of an area with debris, called fans. Is located, i.e., on an elevated area formed by the debris coming down from the gully in the front of the hotel.”

“The fact that there was a pre-existing structure,” explains Augusto De Sanctis ex-environmental consultant Wwf, and now Forum H20 – does not mean much because the return times of these extreme events may be longer than a few tens of years. A bit like the floods of the rivers. There are events which on average occur every 50 years, the most important ones that occur every 100 years and then the extreme ones that may happen every 500 years and reach areas that seemed to non-insiders quiet”.

“The geologists – continue De Sanctis – identifies the areas of risk not only through the events already known, as it is reported in the register of landslides and avalanche, but also, and above all, based on some specific characteristics of the soil which revolve around the type of events that can occur. And there these signals had to be patently obvious, so much so that decades are highlighted on the official maps. On the other hand, without the knowledge of these cards today we disclose, only by interpreting the aerial photos, these days this process they have explained very well the different geologists. Now we also have the maps who say that the bodies had at least the cognitive elements. Officially reported”.

“in Short, at the time of the restructuring the main occurred about ten years ago – which has expanded the accommodation capacity of the structure, and then the risk intrinsic – accuses the environmental consultant – there were all the elements, both on land and in the papers, to notice problems.”

De Sanctis also explains what you will need to go look at the judges from this point of view. “In the acts of the administrative procedure of the reconstruction of the hotel will be interesting to see what is written, since the Decree of 11 march 1988 obliges us to detect these aspects and highlight the potential effects”.

But the Forum H2O tip of the finger, also against the Region: “Unfortunately, however, in the framework there is also the very serious omission of the Regione Abruzzo that it was equipped with a law on avalanches 25 years ago in which he foresaw theinedificabilità for risk areas-potential fall and winter closure of facilities pre-existing in case of danger. In 25 years, the map has never been written”.

“The documents are there, on the web site of the Region, available to all, we found them in a few minutes – concludes De Sanctis – Just want to look for. We wanted to wait a few days for respect for the victims and the rescuers, hoping for more bailouts, but with theinvestigation of the power of Attorney it is good to disclose this documentation.