Abstract
The Molise earthquake received widespread attention within Italy because of its devastating impact on the residents and on the economy of the sparsely populated regions of Molise and Puglia. Overall, 91 municipalities requested government assistance, including 65 in the province of Campobasso and 26 in the province of Foggia. The most extensive damage was to the village of San Giuliano di Puglia, where 27 children and one teacher were killed in a collapse of the primary school and the entire town has been relocated to a temporary village for an estimated two years. The disaster served as a catalyst for immediate changes to Italy's seismic law and regulations. This paper explores some of the challenges that confronted emergency managers, planners and victims during the response phase, and summarizes the economic impacts and recovery and reconstruction efforts.
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