Two new ones are arriving for the month of October IT-Alert test for the risk of collapse of two large dams: today, October 13, the experiment will simulate the possible collapse of the Malga Bissina damlocated in the province of Trento, involving both Trentino-Alto Adige and some municipalities in Lombardy. For tomorrow 14 October, however, a simulation for the collapse of the Valnegra damin the province of Bergamo, which will involve 8 neighboring municipalities.
Today’s test, organized to coincide with the anniversary of National Disaster Risk Reduction Daywill be used to simulate the collapse of the dam of the structure of dam itself or the appearance of damage to the dam and/or landslides which pose a risk uncontrolled release of water such as to cause a catastrophic event, with a flood wave and the consequent inundation of the areas located downstream.
The initiative will be carried out in collaboration with the national Department of Civil Protection: in Trentino-Alto Adige approximately one hundred “sentinels” will also be involved, distributed in the field to verify reception of the warning on smartphones.
All inhabitants present in the target area will receive sui own cell phones (even if not connected to the Internet) one text notification accompanied by a sound signal. The public alert system will verify the public response capacity to the emergency, ensuring that in real situations the alert messages are correctly transmitted from the telephone cells and received on the devices present in the affected areas.
This test will be used in particular to verify that the communication flows envisaged in the Civil Protection Document and in the Dam Emergency Plan (PED) are followed correctly.
More specifically, the calendar provides that:
- 11.00 am on October 13th: Test IT-Alert for collapse of large dams at the Malga Bissina Dam (TN). 32 municipalities involved:
- In the province of Trento: Valdaone, Pieve di Bono – Prezzo, Borgo Chiese, Storo and Bondone;
- In the province of Brescia: Acquafredda, Anfo, Bagolino, Barghe, Bedizzole, Calcinato, Calvagese della Riviera, Calvisano, Carpenedolo, Gavardo, Idro, Lavenone, Montichiari, Muscoline, Prevalle, Remedello, Roè Volciano, Sabbio Chiese, Vestone, Villanuova sul Clisi, Visano and Vobarno;
- In the province of Cremona: Calvatone;
- In the province of Mantua: Acquanegra sul Chiese, Asola, Canneto sull’Oglio and Casalmoro.
Citizens who will be in the areas affected by the exercise will receive this test message on their mobile phones:
TEST TEST This is an IT-alert TEST MESSAGE. A SIMULATION of a dam collapse is underway in the area where you are located. To find out the message you will receive in case of real danger and to fill out the questionnaire go to www.it-alert.gov.it TEST TEST
Once the message is received, for the citizens you won’t need to do anything: the IT-Alert system, in fact, does not provide interaction with the messages. Since this is a test, the citizens involved will however be able to fill out a questionnaire (not mandatory) to communicate whether the alert has been received or not, and ensure the efficiency of communication flows in the future. The questionnaire will be available on the homepage of the IT-Alert website, available at this link.
At the moment, the warning system only works for four of the seven risk scenarios provided for by EU Directive 2018/1972: nuclear accidents, industrial accidents, collapse of a large dam and volcanic activity in the areas of Campi Flegrei, Vesuvius and the island of Vulcano. Tests are still underway for tsunamis, Stromboli’s volcanic activity and intense rainfall.
In case of real danger due to the collapse of a large dam, cell phones present in the municipalities potentially affected by the flood wave will receive an IT-alert message of this type:
Civil Protection Alarm DD/MM/YY at 00:00 – XYZ DAM COLLAPSE in the Municipality of XYZ (PROVINCE): possible flash flood. GET AWAY FROM WATER COURSES and reach elevated areas. Keep up to date and follow the instructions of the authorities.
