The municipalities of Casamicciola Terme, Forio and Lacco Almeno have been using the Erikus software application to take stock of the damage caused by the earthquake that occurred this summer on the island of Ischia in the Italian region of Campania. The application had proven its value before, after earthquake that took place in August 2016 in central Italy and took 300 lives.

At the request of the national Civil Protection department (Protezione Civile), the Region of Piedmont sent two experts to the Municipal Operating Centre (COC) of Casamicciola Terme to set up the Erikus system to support the 'Census of Damage, Relief and Post-Event Awareness' activities. Experts in the use of the application provided training to engineers in the three affected municipalities.

Damage inventory

Erikus has been developed as part of the open-source package QGIS, a GIS application for viewing, editing, and analysing geospatial data. It is a tool for handling damage reports and requests for help submitted by citizens to the COCs. Daily reports support a quick response in the stricken areas. The program allows the authorities to prepare all the information they need to carry out a damage inventory programme and create a catalogue and map of the buildings affected.

A report starts with the delivery of available data to the inventory teams. Regional and/or municipal archives can provide information on the use of each building, the number of underground floors, the number of doors, the construction method, foundations, drawings and maps.

Reports from citizens are collected through the app in a standardized way. These are combined with surveys and photos to create maps and summaries that are indispensable when planning and monitoring a damage inventory programme.

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