title: Weather-Related Flood and Landslide Damage: A Risk Index for Italian Regions.
abstract: The frequency of natural hazards has been increasing in the last decades in Europe and specifically in Mediterranean regions due to climate change. For example heavy precipitation events can lead to disasters through the interaction with exposed and vulnerable people and natural systems. It is therefore necessary a prevention planning to preserve human health and to reduce economic losses. Prevention should mainly be carried out with more adequate land management, also supported by the development of an appropriate risk prediction tool based on weather forecasts. The main aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between weather types (WTs) and the frequency of floods and landslides that have caused damage to properties, personal injuries, or deaths in the Italian regions over recent decades. In particular, a specific risk index (WT-FLARI) for each WT was developed at national and regional scale. This study has identified a specific risk index associated with each weather type, calibrated for each Italian region and applicable to both annual and seasonal levels. The risk index represents the seasonal and annual vulnerability of each Italian region and indicates that additional preventive actions are necessary for some regions. The results of this study represent a good starting point towards the development of a tool to support policy-makers, local authorities and health agencies in planning actions, mainly in the medium to long term, aimed at the weather damage reduction that represents an important issue of the World Meteorological Organization mission.
authors.affiliation: Interdepartmental Centre of Bioclimatology, University of Florence, Piazzale delle Cascine 18, 50144 Florence, Italy.|Department of Agrifood Production and Environmental Sciences, DISPAA, University of Florence, Piazzale delle Cascine 18-50144 Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Messeri
authors.affiliation: Interdepartmental Centre of Bioclimatology, University of Florence, Piazzale delle Cascine 18, 50144 Florence, Italy.|Institute of Biometeorology, National Research Council-Via Giovanni Caproni 8, 50145 Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morabito
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biometeorology, National Research Council-Via Giovanni Caproni 8, 50145 Florence, Italy.|Consortium LaMMa (Laboratory of Monitoring and Environmental Modelling for the Sustainable Development) Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Florence), Italy.
authors.forename: Gianni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Messeri
authors.affiliation: Interdepartmental Centre of Bioclimatology, University of Florence, Piazzale delle Cascine 18, 50144 Florence, Italy.|Department of Agrifood Production and Environmental Sciences, DISPAA, University of Florence, Piazzale delle Cascine 18-50144 Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Giada
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brandani
authors.affiliation: Interdepartmental Centre of Bioclimatology, University of Florence, Piazzale delle Cascine 18, 50144 Florence, Italy.|Department of Agrifood Production and Environmental Sciences, DISPAA, University of Florence, Piazzale delle Cascine 18-50144 Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Petralli
authors.affiliation: Interdepartmental Centre of Bioclimatology, University of Florence, Piazzale delle Cascine 18, 50144 Florence, Italy.|Department of Agrifood Production and Environmental Sciences, DISPAA, University of Florence, Piazzale delle Cascine 18-50144 Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Natali
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biometeorology, National Research Council-Via Giovanni Caproni 8, 50145 Florence, Italy.|Consortium LaMMa (Laboratory of Monitoring and Environmental Modelling for the Sustainable Development) Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Florence), Italy.
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grifoni
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biometeorology, National Research Council-Via Giovanni Caproni 8, 50145 Florence, Italy.|Consortium LaMMa (Laboratory of Monitoring and Environmental Modelling for the Sustainable Development) Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Florence), Italy.
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Crisci
authors.affiliation: Clinica Medica e Cardiologia, University of Florence-Viale Morgagni 85, 50134 Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianfranco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gensini
authors.affiliation: Interdepartmental Centre of Bioclimatology, University of Florence, Piazzale delle Cascine 18, 50144 Florence, Italy.|Department of Agrifood Production and Environmental Sciences, DISPAA, University of Florence, Piazzale delle Cascine 18-50144 Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Orlandini
mesh_terms: D055868:Floods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007558:Italy; D055876:Landslides / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012621:Seasons; D014887:Weather