Red zone and transfers, the Campi Flegrei plan

There is an evacuation plan for the worst-case scenario, i.e. the eruption of Vesuvius.

“We asked the National Civil Protection System commission to let us know the scientific community's analysis of the updated situation in the area from a seismic and bradyseismic point of view,” Musumeci explained. The decree, among other things, could provide for measures in case bradyseismic events reach an high level of severity: from assistance to the population to temporary removal of residents. For the eruption of Vesuvius, there is already a national plan that involves a total of one million three hundred thousand inhabitants and includes a twinning scheme for the transfer of the population of the Municipalities in red zone towards various regions.

A red zone is foreseen, with preventive evacuation of the population in case of 'alarm', and a yellow zone for temporary evacuations, in addition to four different alert levels. The document map in the event of an eruption includes an area that goes from Naples and the Neapolitan coast (from Pozzuoli to San Giovanni a Teduccio) until it gradually extends along the hinterland to the territories of Villaricca, Melito or Casavatore. The red zone, the one most exposed to the danger of invasion of pyroclastic flows (i.e. avalanches of gas, ash and volcanic fragments) includes the Municipalities of Naples and some of its municipalities, Pozzuoli, Bacoli and others, for an area that in total includes five hundred thousand inhabitants. The removal of the population from the red zone begins with the declaration of the 'alarm' phase.

The yellow zone – which includes 24 neighborhoods of Naples, the Municipalities of Villaricca, Calvizzano, Marano, Mugnano and others and where a total of eight hundred thousand inhabitants live – is the area, outside the red zone, which in the event of an eruption would be exposed to the fallout of volcanic ash. Temporary evacuations may be necessary for this area. The four alert levels – green, rooster, orange and red – instead describe the state of activity of the volcano for the Campi Flegrei and mark the time that precedes a possible resumption of eruptive activity.

A 'pre-alarm' phase is planned, in which people who want to leave can do so but only autonomously. When the 'alarm' is declared, the entire population must leave the red zone and can choose to do so autonomously or with assistance. The total estimated time for this operation is three days: the first 12 hours will be useful to allow people to prepare, the following 48 hours concern the departure of the population from all the municipalities in the red zone. The last 12 hours finally represent a safety margin for the management of any critical issues.