Urgent works begin to secure the Port of Portopalo after Cyclone Harry

Interventions for the safety of the Port of Portopalo di Capo Passero are starting, in the province of Syracuse. The port has suffered significant damage from the storms during Cyclone Harry on January 18. Today, the works were awarded, through emergency procedure, by the Civil Engineering Department of Syracuse to the Medil consortium of Benevento. The amount is 1,360,000 euros, and the works must be completed within six months, but they will proceed in phases to allow the fishing community of Portopalo to use the infrastructure safely as soon as possible.

Present were the director of the regional Technical department, Duilio Alongi, appointed by President Schifani as the delegated subject to coordinate all the structures working to address the consequences of Cyclone Harry and the landslide in Niscemi, the mayor Rachele Rocca, as well as the chief engineer of the Civil Engineering Department of Syracuse, Maurizio Vaccaro, the project manager Luigi Di Natali, and the designer Gino Montecchi.

"We are working quickly - said President Schifani, who could not be present due to a slight flu attack - to restore operations and safety to the dock, so that the fishing boats of Portopalo can use the port structure as soon as possible and without risks. A moment of restart, after the damage caused by Cyclone Harry. It is also a demonstration of the efficiency of the apparatus I have activated to address the consequences of the exceptional adverse events that have affected Sicily in recent months. We have mobilized the necessary resources, and dozens of works have already started, with more to be initiated in the coming days. We will not stop and - added the governor - as I have already assured, we will not leave anyone behind. My government and I are constantly and daily committed to addressing the emergencies. In the meantime, we are planning, in synergy with the State and local administrations, the interventions in the territory and on the infrastructure for a return to normalcy and to face the harshness of a changing climate. Extreme events will become more frequent, unfortunately."

Among the other Sicilian ports, both large and small, damaged by the storms, these are the interventions currently underway, for a total expenditure of 10.8 million: already awarded, in execution or about to start, the works in the ports of Lampedusa (Ag), Stazzo, Pozzillo, Santa Tecla, Santa Maria La Scala and Capo Mulini (Acireale, Ct), Ognina and San Giovanni Li Cuti in Catania, Riposto (Ct), Stromboli (Me); currently being awarded are those at the ports of Ustica (Pa), Levanzo and Marsala (Tp) and Torre Faro and Santa Marina di Salina (Messina).