Calabria Seeks New State of Emergency Amid Severe Flooding and Mudslides

Calabria Grapples with Renewed Deluge

Italy's southern Calabria region has submitted a request for a new national state of emergency after experiencing days of heavy rains that have led to extensive flooding and mudslides. The announcement was made on Saturday, February 14, 2026, by regional authorities, highlighting the severe impact on the area.

This latest appeal follows a previous declaration of a state of emergency last month for Calabria, along with Sicily and Sardinia, in the wake of Storm Harry, which caused considerable damage to coastal roads and homes.

Widespread Damage and Evacuations

In the past 48 hours, Calabria has been hit by a fresh wave of adverse weather, characterized by 'violent gusts, cloudbursts, storm surges and a wave of bad weather that has caused landslides, flooding, swollen rivers and collapsed embankments in various areas of our region,' according to Calabria's president, Roberto Occhiuto. The region's vital agriculture, livestock, and fishing industries have been severely impacted, described as being 'brought to their knees by the exceptionally intense wave that devastated the countryside, crops and rural infrastructure.'

Specific areas have faced significant disruption:

• In Cassano all'Ionio, within the province of Cosenza, the Crati river overflowed its banks, inundating the Laghi di Sibari area and the nearby archaeological park of Sibari.
• The Busento and Campagnano rivers in the Cosenza province also experienced flooding.
• Approximately 500 people were evacuated from affected areas, with Mayor Gianpaolo Iacobini of Cassano all'Ionio encouraging residents near the river to seek higher ground.
• National broadcaster Rai showed footage of entire streets and agricultural land submerged in brown water.

Firefighters have been actively engaged, conducting around 2,000 interventions over the past 72 hours across Calabria, Sardinia, and Sicily due to the severe weather conditions. Fortunately, no victims or missing persons have been reported in Calabria.

Implications of a National State of Emergency

A national state of emergency in Italy is typically declared by the Council of Ministers, upon a proposal from the President of the Council (Prime Minister), and requires the agreement of the affected region. Such a declaration enables the deployment of extraordinary means and powers for a defined period, allowing for urgent interventions and the use of simplified procedures to manage the crisis. These states of emergency can last up to 180 days and are extendable for an additional 180 days.

Following the previous state of emergency in January, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government had initially allocated 100 million euros to address immediate needs. Nello Musumeci, the Minister of Civil Protection and Maritime Policies, indicated that the government plans to adopt a second measure to address the ongoing damage.