Stromboli - 2007 Eruption

 

Activities of the Competence Centres. On 27 February 2007 the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology - INGV and the University of Florence communicated to the Central Functional Centre for Volcanic Risk - Cfc-rv of the Department of Civil Protection significant changes in the state of the volcano Stromboli. These Competence Centers report in particular an increase in the number of rolling boulders along the Sciara del Fuoco. The alarm follows a period of volcanic activity that lasted several weeks and was characterized by high values of the parameters monitored.

 

Coa activation. The Cfc-rv, which was already in a state of surveillance, observes through the surveillance cameras an explosive phase, followed shortly after by the opening of an effusive mouth at the base of the crater of the north-east and then by landslides along the Sciara del Fuoco. Alerting procedures are immediately triggered and the Advanced Operative Centre-Coa of Stromboli is contacted for the activation of the sirens for the removal of the population from the coast.

 

Convening of the Crisis Unit. The Civil Protection Department consults the heads of the monitoring centres and the experts of the Major Risks Commission for an initial evaluation of the phenomena in progress and convenes the Crisis Unit for the coordination of emergency activities. It also provides for the dispatch of two teams of experts and technicians to reach the island in a few hours by helicopter.

 

Establishment of the Synthesis Group and provisions for the population. On March 1, 2007, the Civil Protection Department set up a Synthesis Group at the Stromboli Coas, composed of volcanological experts from the Major Risks Commission and those responsible for monitoring, to assess current phenomena and volcanic hazards. On the basis of the results of these evaluations, the activation of the emergency plan, aimed at reducing the exposure of the population to the risks deriving from eruptive and/or landslide phenomena, is modulated from time to time, in connection with the central structures.

 

On 7 March 2007, the Mayor of the Municipality of Lipari issued a trade union order prohibiting access to the summits of the volcano.

 

Opening of new eruptive phases and further provisions. On 9 March, a resumption of effusive activity was observed from the volcanic mouth at 400m altitude. A sudden increase in the deformations of the Sciara del Fuoco is recorded and a second effusive mouth is opened at an altitude of about 500m. The monitoring system was implemented and the decision was taken to evacuate the population living in the coastal area.

 

On March 15, 2007, a paroxysmal explosion occurred from the northeast crater, the products of which caused damage to the paths, to the monitoring network on the volcano, and also to the shelters, present on the summits of the volcano.

 

On April 7, 2007, the effusive activity ends and the normal Strombolian activity of the volcano resumes.

 

Communication initiatives on risk and standards of behaviour. In April 2007, the Department produced a multilingual information brochure entitled "Welcome to the most beautiful active volcano in the world" which explains to tourists and hikers the risks and rules of conduct to be adopted when climbing a volcano.

 

On the basis of the experience gained during the previous emergency of 2002-2003, as well as the structural and procedural innovations introduced in recent years and also experienced in the field of exercises, was implemented and conducted the emergency management intervention, which involved at various levels all the offices of the Department, the Cfc-rv and the Coa.