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Cinque Terre: Recovery from Disaster

Vernazza & Monterosso's Remarkable Recovery

On October 25, 2011, an unusually severe rainstorm brought flash flooding and landslides, to the Cinque Terre towns of Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare — filling the streets with rocks, mud and debris up to 12 feet deep. Three people drowned in Vernazza and one in Monterosso.

Today, most shops, restaurants and hotels in Vernazza and Monterosso are back welcoming visitors — the result of a remarkable recovery process. Throughout the winter and spring of 2012, the Italian government, local residents and relief workers teamed up to remove literally acres of mud from both towns. Since then, the streets and sewer systems have been re-engineered, and the ground floors of most of the affected businesses have been renovated. Outside the town centers, however, much work remains to repair structures, rebuild terracing, and prevent future flash-flooding.

If you plan to visit this corner of Italy, two local organizations — Save Vernazza and Rebuild Monterosso — have websites with up-to-date information on hotels, restaurants, construction, and other goings on. Here are some handy shortcuts:

Help is still needed: Vernazza and Monterosso have come a long way since the disaster, but important work lies ahead. Learn more, and consider making a donation to one of these groups:

Articles by Rick Steves

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