Emergency preparedness activities performed during an evolving seismic swarm: the experience of the Pollino (Southern Italy) sequence

Since October 2010, a seismic swarm is affecting the Pollino mountain range (Basilicata and Calabria regions, Southern Italy). While writing this paper the sequence is still ongoing, with more than 600 earthquakes perceived by the population having local magnitudes Ml > 2.0. The population main fear is the risk that a destructive event could follow the seismic swarm as it occurred at L’Aquila (Central Italy) in 2009. Being not possible to predict the evolution of the sequence, the Civil Protection at national and regional level took several initiatives to help people to cope with the ongoing swarm and to prepare to possible future large events, which are anyhow expected since the area is classified at the highest hazard levels in the official seismic zonation of Italy. On 26 October 2012, a Ml=5.0 shock occurred causing slight damage and forcing some people to abandon their houses. While it is not clear if this event is going to be the highest, the sequence is still continuing and the preparedness activities switched to emergency activities. Accounting for the interaction between risk communication, risk perception, emergency preparedness and management, the analysis and discussion of pro’s and con’s of the actions taken to enhance social capacity are presented and discussed.