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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009
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'L'Aquila Is Finished,' Residents Despair

Ad-hoc recovery is like post-Katrina's FEMA: experts

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(Newser) – At the heart of Italy's quake-struck L'Aquila was its namesake university and the 27,500 students the local bars, shops, and hostels relied on for customers. With many fleeing the crippled university and town that will take years to renovate, local shop owners wonder how they'll survive. “L’Aquila is finished,” a pub owner tell the AP. “The economy was based on the students.”

Italy has no basic recovery plan with which to rebuild crumbled L’Aquila—an estimated $16 billion venture. “Every time we need to start from scratch to reach the same results,” bemoans one official. The ad-hoc approach is vulnerable to delays, corruption, and unequal treatment of victims, experts say, likening the situation to America’s FEMA after Hurricane Katrina.

Volunteer hairdresser Erica Feriozzi from Teramo, Italy, washes the hair of earthquake survivor Marisa Alfonsetti in a tent-camp in near L'Aquila.
Volunteer hairdresser Erica Feriozzi from Teramo, Italy, washes the hair of earthquake survivor Marisa Alfonsetti in a tent-camp in near L'Aquila.   (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Residents of L'Aquila don't see much hope in the near term for efforts to recover from last week's earthquake.
Residents of L'Aquila don't see much hope in the near term for efforts to recover from last week's earthquake.   (Creative Commons)
The town of L'Aquila was hit hard by last week's earthquake.
The town of L'Aquila was hit hard by last week's earthquake.   (Creative Commons)
  (©pablo72)
Roberta Massimi, 24, student of medicine, reacts as she collects her belongings from her destroyed house with the help of firefighters in central L'Aquila.
Roberta Massimi, 24, student of medicine, reacts as she collects her belongings from her destroyed house with the help of firefighters in central L'Aquila.   (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
An elderly man sleeps on a chair in a tent camp set up by the civil protection agency in L'Aquila, central Italy.
An elderly man sleeps on a chair in a tent camp set up by the civil protection agency in L'Aquila, central Italy.   (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
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In the meantime what are
we going to do? Buy clothes and go the pub between ourselves? - Pub owner Daniele Cerrone

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2 comments
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TerrifiedCitizen
Apr 15, 09 9:57 PM CDT
"likening the situation to America’s FEMA after Hurricane Katrina" What's it take to shame us? Reply
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riffran
Apr 17, 09 2:51 AM CDT
you mean Bush blew up protective dikes over there too? Reply
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