Rome – The Civil Protection has announced a remodulation of the alert levels for volcanic risk in the Campi Flegrei, based on a “more modern vision” defined by the Major Risks Commission.
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The new scale, presented by Department Head Fabio Ciciliano, provides for four alert levels, marked by colors: green (quiescent volcano), yellow (weak/medium disequilibrium), orange (strong/very strong disequilibrium) and red (pre-eruptive).
“If the new table were already in place, we would still be in 'yellow',” Ciciliano said, underlining that the current operational phase of the civil protection system is number 2. The goal of the remodulation is to “refine” the system, making the emergency response more prompt and adequate to the needs of local communities.
Bradyseism under observation
The Major Risks Commission, which has been working on the new scale for over a year, has also taken into account the latest bradyseismic events in the area. “The phenomenon of bradyseism is carefully monitored, given that the parameters analyzed also include soil deformation,” Ciciliano said.
Sharing with the territories
The sharing of the new model with the mayors of the Phlegraean area began two days ago. “It is not a complete modification, but a refinement of the operational strategies,” Ciciliano explained.
Uncertainty about the future
Eugenio Coccia, president of the Major Risks Commission, underlined the uncertainty linked to the evolution of the situation: “We are currently in a phase of attention, 'yellow', which indicates a weak or medium disequilibrium. It is not possible to establish whether and for how long the situation will remain unchanged”.
Constant monitoring
Coccia also reassured about the constant monitoring of the area: “The Campi Flegrei volcanic system is the one with the best monitoring in the world”. He then clarified that phreatic explosions do not necessarily depend on the level of magma, which cannot be measured precisely.
Evacuation plan ready
In the event of a transition to the imminent risk phase, 'red', the evacuation plan for the population from the affected area remains unchanged. "We are also ready to carry out interventions more rapidly", added Luigi D'Angelo, engineer of the Civil Protection.
Article published on March 22, 2025 - 07pm
It is important that the new alert scale is well understood by everyone, but I hope that citizens are well informed and that there is no confusion. Civil protection must always be ready in case of emergency.