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The earthquakes of May 20th and 29th, 2012 A provisional report of a dramatic experience The earthquake in Emilia has left profound scars, caused suffering and added further difficulty to what was already a complex economic situation. There has, however, been an extraordinary response to this disaster.
The reaction to the devastating “earth breath” Courage and solidarity Several months have passed since the profound and lethal "earth breath" of May 20th which made us discover how fragile we are. If it is when faced with difficulties that we see how a community reacts, then Ferrara has shown extraordinary strength.
Doing business in an earthquake zone Will, pragmatism and creativity The earthquakes of May 2012 extensively and violently damaged the most productive district of our province - the upper Ferrara area which houses most of the industrial activity of the area.
“We’re still here, we haven’t left” Small businesses and craftsmen Eight months after the earthquake it is possible to take stock of the situation, analyzing what has been done. I can testify that, after the initial pain and discomfort, my colleagues and craftsmen reacted by rolling up their sleeves and removing the rubble from homes and businesses.
Tha agricultural sector and the earthquake Facts and considerations Old rural culture has always been cautiously afraid of leap years. In the 2012 leap year we witnessed a catastrophic earthquake and a devastating drought that
extensively damaged not only agricultural buildings but also the farm revenue for a large part of the upper Ferrara area.

Tha agricultural sector and the earthquake

Written by  Giacomo Agarossi

Facts and considerations

Old rural culture has always been cautiously afraid of leap years. In the 2012 leap year we witnessed a catastrophic earthquake and a devastating drought that
extensively damaged not only agricultural buildings but also the farm revenue for a large part of the upper Ferrara area.

05-01The world of agriculture and the food industry have suffered serious damage; the systematic devastation in the impact areas of the earthquake is evident for all to see. Farm buildings have totally or partially collapsed or are severely damaged. Houses, stables, barns, outbuildings, furnaces and edifices that were widely used as warehouses and farm equipment deposits have, in many cases, been reduced to rubble. The most obvious and serious repercussions have been with regard to property. Houses will need to be renovated or reconstructed, while buildings used as warehouses or machinery deposits must be replaced with new, more rational earthquake-proof structures. Damaged equipment must be replaced or repaired. In the areas most affected by liquefaction (the towns of Sant'Agostino and Mirabello) cracks of various dimensions have opened in the land, small sand volcanoes and craters have appeared and there have been floods of water and mud. Artesian wells and irrigation channels - fundamental for the regulation and flow of water used for irrigation and drainage during rainstorms - have also un05-02dergone damage. Products faired better (if we don't take into account the loss of warehouse and finished goods), although this was to be expected. But unfortunately a persistent drought that lasted for several months resulted in a vertical collapse of farm incomes as a result of plots of soybeans and corn not being harvested, the effect of aflatoxins on corn, poor sugar beet crops and undersize fruit, together with high costs induced by emergency irrigation. Could our grandparents have been right about leap years? How can we face the coming year? Undoubtedly with the same strength of mind with which the emergency was
faced from the start. With pragmatism we have rolled up our sleeves and tried to save what could be saved - especially equipment and warehouse goods - removing tiles and rubble and already planning reconstruction. It is remarkable that in a country where, unfortunately, earthquakes are so common, no one has 05-03thought of creating a "Code of Behaviour" or "Consolidating Act" at a national level, drawing from the experience gained over decades of disasters. Getting back to agriculture, I would like to express a wish: that in dealing with the reconstruction of rural property the public administration demonstrates swiftness, transparency and common sense, avoiding suffocating bureaucracy; and that company owners, who have suffered real damage, seize this opportunity to carefully rationalize the necessary investment costs.