Very heavy toll after yesterday’s wave of bad weather which hit the Ionian area of Messina in particular. The most serious critical issues are recorded in Santa Teresa di Riva, where the storm heavily damaged the seafront, in particular the southern stretch, causing the collapse of 140 meters of road and two small squares with the ramps used to reach the beach, swallowed up by the devastating fury of the waves. Damage also to underground services.
The collapsed areas were cordoned off during the night by the Municipality, present with administrators, technicians, local police and civil protection of Furci Siculo, who remained on guard with the activation of the municipal operations centre. Huge damages, from a first summary estimate by the Technical Office amounting to around 2 million euros.
The walkway over the Agrò stream between Santa Teresa di Riva and Sant’Alessio Siculo reopened this morning, closed at 9.45pm yesterday due to the flood of the waterway: in the morning a company appointed by Anas intervened to remove the mud and debris present on the roadway invaded by the waters of the stream.
We are trying to return to normality in the tourist area of Taormina after the weather conditions worsened last night. The seafront of the hamlet of Mazzeo was particularly affected by the sea waves where we work to clear the sand from the road and try to restore the equipment of the bathing establishments which have been ruined by the fury of the sea. Same thing for the seaside road in nearby Letojanni. The road is currently closed to traffic. Difficulties also in central Taorminawhere vehicles were allowed to pass, on Via Atanasio, after a tree fell and blocked the road. A wall of a bathing establishment in the Spisone district was also destroyed. Damage also to Giardini Naxos. Traffic on the state road has been restored after the bridge over the Alcantara river was closed because the waterway was at risk of flooding. Furthermore, the embankment, also on the Alcantara, which defends the Pietrenere complex of the sewerage consortium’s purification system from possible flooding, collapsed. The road leading to the Schisó pier is currently still closed to traffic. In this area a well-known restaurant was flooded by the waves. Finally, the little square with the “Nike” viewpoint, the symbolic statue of Giardini Naxos, is closed. The sea waves destroyed the protective walls of the panoramic clearing. Difficulties were also recorded in other areas due to the gusts of wind and the storm and we are working to restore everything possible.