Earthquakes an ongoing threat

EARTHQUAKES AN ONGOING THREAT

The last damaging earthquake to take place in Calabria was in 1947, there was structural damage but fortunately, unlike previous earthquakes, not many lives were lost as it was only 8 on the Richter scale. In previous times Calabria has not been so lucky. In 1908 from Reggio to Messina the area was hit by an earthquake

So severe that it took an estimated 100.000 lives.

Nearer home,(parghelia) on the 8th September 1905, another earthquake hit Calabria. its epicentre is thoughts to have been somewhere in the region of Monteleone now known as Vibo Valencia. Lives were lost and there were many casualties. Parghelia, as you know is southeast of Vibo, and was badly hit by the quake which hit at around 3 o’clock in the morning. It was so severe that Parghelia had to be virtually rebuilt. Because of the scale of destruction in the area, accommodation had to erected to accommodate the surviving homeless. These buildings were very basic and used for many years until the government built decent homes. The area that the temporary dwellings were built in is still called “Le Baracche”(The Shacks).