Historical disasters

2.2. Italy

Italy is a very seismic territory and the main history earthquakes were

Messina on 28 December 1908 The most devastating earthquake took place in Messina, his magnitude was 7.1 and between 75,000 and 200,000 lives were lost. The earthquake almost levelled Messina and Reggio Calabria. About ten minutes after the earthquake, the sea on both sides of the Strait suddenly withdrew and a 12-meter (39-foot) tsunami swept in and three waves struck nearby coasts. It impacted hardest along the Calabrian coast and inundated Reggio Calabria after the sea had receded 0 meters from the shore. In Messina, the tsunami also caused more devastation and deaths. The disaster affected the local economy and Messina faced a temporary depopulation after so many homeless survivors had sought refuge elsewhere.In the years following 1908, precautions were taken when the reconstruction of Messina began in 1909, building architecture that would be able to withstand earthquakes of variable magnitude, if one should strike again. Initially, authorities adopted a plan to demolish the remaining structures of Messina and transfer the city and its port elsewhere in Sicily but this was discarded after strong protests from the Messina