Heavy rains, a huge landslide in Sicily, everything collapsed, people are scared

The situation in Sicily is extremely serious due to the weather. Heavy rains that followed Hurricane Harry that hit last week caused a huge landslide.

Casas na cidade siciliana de Niscemi, no sul da Itália, ficaram à beira de um precipício após um deslizamento de terra provocado por chuvas extremas que atingiram a região. O município tem cerca de 25 mil habitantes e está situado em um planalto que, segundo as autoridades… pic.twitter.com/y6AQpNf9KV
— Folha de S.Paulo (@folha) January 27, 2026

The hill on which the city of Sicily is located collapsed for more than four kilometers. Many houses are now in a critical condition after a large part of the hill collapsed. More than 1,500 people were evacuated from the area following the landslide. The mayor of Niscemi responded that the landslide that began on Sunday has created a huge crack in the city of Sicily.

If there is another landslide, the entire city of Sicily will be forgotten

People are now worried that another landslide could swallow the historic city of Sicily. Salvatore Cosina, the director general of the Civil Protection Authority in Sicily, had warned on Monday that all houses within a 50-70 meter radius of the landslide site are likely to collapse. Meanwhile, the mayor is urging people outside the danger zone to stay at home. The mayor is also warning that landslides should not be taken lightly.

Schools closed

Schools in the city have been closed. The road connecting Niskeme to the coastal town of Gela has also been closed. Niskeme is home to about 25,000 people. Most of the evacuees are living in the homes of relatives. Hundreds of people have been sheltering in local fields for the past two nights. The continued rain in the region is negatively affecting rescue operations and technical inspections.

More than 1 billion euros in damage

Heavy rain and waves up to nine meters high have caused extensive damage in Sicily, Calabria and Sardinia. Roads and coastal defenses have collapsed. Several beach resorts have been washed away. Damage is estimated at more than 1 billion euros. The government has allocated 100 million euros for emergency needs in the worst-hit areas. Civil Protection Minister Nello Musumeci said the government would take new measures to rebuild damaged infrastructure.

Damage in Sicily alone is estimated at 740 million euros. The Italian government declared a state of emergency in the southern regions hit by Hurricane Harry last week.