THE FLOOD OF 1994

THE FLOOD OF 1994

The flood which happened in November 1994 was not only a national emergency but a real disaster. It was the most serious event that had damaged Piedmont over the last 50 years. In fact the flood damaged regions belonging to four provinces of Piedmont such as: Cuneo, Asti and Alessandria, located along the course of the Tanaro and Vercelli on the river Po.


The course of the river Tanaro in Piedmont and in the provinces of Cuneo, Asti, Alessandria and Vercelli	The flood of 5th and 6th November 1994 in Piedmont and in the provinces of:


Cuneo	Asti

Alessandria	Biella e Vercelli

The flood wave went along the river Tanaro as far as its confluence into the Po and further, getting more and more violent and causing considerable damage to the whole economy of the country. Particularly in the area of Alessandria all the main streams from West, such as the Belbo, the Bormida (on a smaller scale), the Tanaro and the Po, were affected.
The Tanaro was always regarded as a safe, harmless and friendly river by people living in Alessandria (as a matter of fact they nickname it “Tani bunason”). That is why its actual destructive power was undervalued. Therefore the impact of the facts is concerned with: demolished whole buildings and roads, houses declared unfit for use and consequently hundreds of homeless people, dozens of traders forced out of business, school classes suspended for many days, roads and railways blocked, the sewerage system fully blocked, lots of cattle died by drowning.




Headlines and articles from dailies after the flood

Causes of the flood that occurred on 6^th November 1994

The flood of 6^th November 1994 was seen to be a special event; therefore a few useful and objective remarks about the dynamics which caused such a natural phenomenon have been required. Numerous causes and of different types have occured.

Atmospheric causes:

a cyclonic disturbance from the Côte d’Azur
a scirocco storm from Africa
a low pressure over the Upper Tanaro Valley

an anticyclonic area over Lombardy which forced the turbolence to stop over Piedmont for quite a few days. Between 4^th and 6^th November there occurs 30% of the annual rainfall.


The evolution of the meteorological situation between 1st and 6th November (from Pangallo, 1995)	The average rainfall in the provinces of Alessandria, Cuneo, Asti	The survey of the atmospheric pressure at Alessandria tation

Causes due to the work of man:

lack of maintenance of the streams
lack of protection of the river district

reduction of the sections of flow because of bridges
building on flood plains
raising of unnatural barriers such us railways, motorways and embankments

reduction of natural lamination areas
deforestation to permit agricultural affairs. Water therefore drifts and moves soil, mud and vegetation to valleys increasing the volume of river waters
work of river cementation
conversion of woodland into waterproof asphalt surface which reduces the time of concentration (i.e. the time required for water to travel from the point of falling to the point of measurement)

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