Those days of 10th and 11th of November 2013 got quite intense at Loccioni headquarters. The blame is to put on the heavy rain that poured on the whole Esino Valley for very long hours.
For Loccioni people it was particularly impressive to read on newspapers that it was in 1990 the last time that such a massive Esino river’s flood took place. That year means a lot to all Loccioni collaborators, to those who were already working in Loccioni at that time, but also to the others that joined the Group later.
Comparing 1
990 pictures to those of 2013, differences are evident and impressive. In the first case Esino river overflowed reaching Loccioni headquarters in Angeli di Rosora and causing huge damages and losses. In the latter, the massive flood was announced earlier and the river stretch that flows through the territory between Maiolati-Castelplanio and Apiro-Mergo SS76, stayed firmly in its banks.
What wasn’t changed at all were collaborators’ dedication and team working. They put precious working tools in safe from eventual damages until they were forced to evacuate; then, during the night they worked hard under the falling rain to sandbag the building, to prevent the water from entering.
The whole process successfully worked like a tested machine, but it went beyond the simple gear system, involving deep emotions. Worry meshed up with a strong sense of belonging, giving birth to deep reflection and great intangible value.
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n this sense, 1990 flood was crucial: Enrico Loccioni didn’t stop in front of the considerable damages and turned them in a chance to start doing something concrete to improve the hydrogeological conditions. He realized the importance of breaking down the architectural boundaries of his company, enlarging them to the surrounding territory. “We see the river as an opportunity rather than a threat. But it could become a danger if nobody takes care of it”.
According to these words, 2 kilometers of Esino river have been adopted since 2012, applying the traditional concept of mezzadria (sharecropping). Therefore close and innovative collaboration has been made up among several Public Institutions and Loccioni Company.
Thanks to this agreement, important interventions and considerable investments have just started to bring the river back to its natural banks, to periodically clean the river bed and banks up, and to do surrounding greenery maintenance.
Along with these preventive activities, monitoring ones have been considered important as well. Loccioni Group has started to turn these 2 km in a real open-air laboratory for technological innovation: a web-cam system was installed along with sensors for monitoring pier undermining phenomena, hydrometric sensor for measuring water surface, embankment systems to handle the river flow. It was thanks to the integration of all these highly innovative solutions, that in 2013 the trend flood could be measured and controlled and that people could be alerted in useful advance to activate an emergency plan.
Additionally another relevant intervention was carried out on Scisciano bridge. The third span was opened and cleaned up, its foundations were reinforced and a webcam system was installed along with several sensors monitoring the river. That prevented the bridge from literarily collapsing again, like it had happened in 1990.
Therefore, this cooperation represents a desirable and practical model to handle the river in a more systemic and functional way, supporting a natural balance between a company and its natural context.
It allows to optimize the economic resource management related to the territory, stressing predictive maintenance activities and focusing on the long run rather than on the short one.
The company commitment has made the river management much easier, establishing a common goal to be achieved and making decision processes faster and feasible. A huge investment has already been made to carried on this project and a gradual intervention program has been established for the years to come.
Anyway it has already started to yield benefits.
Lot of gratitude towards Enrico Loccioni came from inhabitants, countrymen and mayors of the territories crossed by the river stretch. Finally, heartfelt thanks to Enrico Loccioni came also from all Loccioni collaborators for having shown them how their work and competencies in measure can create value not just for the company, but also for the whole territory. Once again, he made them feel parts of a company forestalling future scenarios and positively impacting on territory.
