The earthquake of 23 November 1980 struck a vast area of Campania and Basilicata, and marginally affected Puglia. The earthquake, which had a magnitude of 6.9, affected a total of 688 municipalities, causing the destruction of houses, buildings and entire historic centres, many of which lost their entire housing stock: fifteen villages were almost completely destroyed. The damage was extensive: 2,734 people lost their lives, around 9,000 were injured and 280,000 were displaced.
The collapse of infrastructure and the disruption to telephone, electricity and railway lines left many inland areas cut off, exacerbating the emergency. Italy proved unprepared: the seismic monitoring network was still being installed and was sparsely distributed across the country; communications proved inefficient; and there was no centralised coordination of the rescue efforts. Volunteers and aid arrived spontaneously, but often in a disorganised manner.
At this time of crisis, amateur radio operators played a central role: they organised mobile emergency networks, linking isolated towns, hospitals, prefectures and rescue centres, relaying calls for help and lists of missing persons, and coordinating the arrival of vehicles and volunteers. From the very outset, the press reported on the chaos surrounding the rescue efforts and the uncertainty regarding the number of victims. In a famous televised address on 26 November, President Sandro Pertini denounced the delays and serious shortcomings in the state’s response.
Following the chaos of the first few days, the Government appointed Giuseppe Zamberletti as Special Commissioner, who succeeded in reorganising the relief efforts and liaising with the affected areas. For Italy, the earthquake marked the beginning of a new historical phase in the field of forecasting, prevention and emergency management: in 1982, the National Civil Protection Department was established.
