Insights gained into geo-hydrological disaster management 25 years after the catastrophic landslides of 1998 in southern Italy
This article documents positive and negative experiences related to one of the deadliest landslide disasters in Italy, in which 160 people lost their lives, 115 were injured, and 1210 became homeless. The disaster took place on May 5, 1998, after nine days of continuous rainfall, in five towns of the Campania region (southern Italy) which were struck by hundreds of shallow landslides that evolved into rapid and extremely rapid debris/hyperconcentrated flows.
The analysis of the impacts and management of the early response phase of the disaster shows that human shortcomings played a relevant role in determining a severe human loss. A possible link between prevention measures and mortality reduction was found.