Policoro hit by violent storm causing widespread damage

A violent weather event, characterized as a downburst or waterspout, struck Policoro and the surrounding Metapontino area in Basilicata on September 2, causing extensive damage. The storm brought intense rainfall and wind gusts potentially exceeding 100 km/h, resulting in hundreds of fallen trees, destroyed beach establishments, and damaged residential roofs and solar panels.

Infrastructure was heavily impacted, with reports of power outages, flooded underpasses, and disrupted railway services due to fallen trees on electrical lines. While the local hospital, Papa Giovanni Paolo II, remains fully operational, the municipal government has activated its Civil Protection Emergency Operations Center to manage the crisis.

The agricultural sector has suffered significant losses, with Coldiretti Basilicata reporting widespread damage to greenhouses and crops in the rural areas of Policoro and Scanzano Jonico. In response, regional President Vito Bardi has announced plans to declare a regional state of emergency and is coordinating with national authorities. Immediate relief measures include reductions in land lease fees and the suspension of irrigation payments for affected farmers.