While global attention is on the World Economic Forum in Davos, where leaders are navigating Donald Trump’s tariff threats against Greenland, another European island is grappling with a devastating economic shock.
Sicily, the Mediterranean’s largest island, is assessing the fallout from Cyclone Harry after days of extreme waves and torrential rain battered its eastern Ionian coast, wiping out public infrastructure, damaging homes, and disrupting a tourism economy that underpins much of the region’s income.
During the night between 20 and 21 January, off eastern Sicily, waves exceeded 12 metres in height — an unprecedented phenomenon for Italy and the Mediterranean Sea.
Preliminary estimates from local authorities put the public-sector linked damage at €740mn, a figure expected to climb well above €1bn once losses to hotels, restaurants, and related services are fully accounted for.
In an exclusive interview with Euronews, Cateno De Luca, mayor of Taormina, one of southern Europe’s most high-value tourism destinations, said damage to public works alone in neighbouring coastal towns — including Letojanni, Santa Teresa di Riva, Mazzeo, Roccalumera and Giardini Naxos — is estimated at around €100mn.
“That figure covers only infrastructure,” De Luca said, citing additional losses to electricity and water networks, wastewater treatment facilities, and dozens of seaside homes.
Despite the scale of destruction, no fatalities were recorded — a result De Luca attributed to the effectiveness of regional civil protection alerts and emergency assistance.
Emergency measures and funding risks
The Sicilian regional government has already launched the formal procedure to request a state of emergency, with approval by Italy’s Council of Ministers expected within days.
Italy’s civil protection minister Nello Musumeci visited the affected areas on Wednesday to assess the damage first-hand.
De Luca urged Rome to include fast-track emergency procedures in the decree to speed up reconstruction, warning that bureaucratic delays could amplify economic damage.
“The amount of funding matters, but the way it is deployed matters even more,” he said, calling for municipalities to act as implementing authorities rather than creating a centralised emergency body.
Asked whether Italy could seek support from the European Union Solidarity Fund, De Luca said the conditions were clearly met. Such funding would target both infrastructure repair and long-term mitigation works.
The Solidarity Fund was set up to respond to major natural disasters in Europe, although the extent of the damage must meet the relevant thresholds to unlock funding.
“These are structurally fragile areas,” De Luca said. “Rebuilding without addressing the causes would leave the territory exposed to the same risks.”
He also acknowledged that Sicily has historically struggled to fully and efficiently use EU funds compared with other European regions.
Is tourism at risk this summer?
The economic outlook for Sicily remains fragile. De Luca warned that large sections of the coastline may not be fully restored in time for the coming summer, raising the risk of lost bookings, reduced employment, and knock-on effects across the regional economy.
“The priority is to avoid a chain collapse,” he said, pointing to potential spillovers from tourism into hospitality, transport, and household incomes. “We must act now,” he added.
Looking ahead, De Luca sought to reassure tourists, investors, and international operators.
He said Taormina’s municipal administration has the financial and administrative capacity to react quickly while waiting for regional and national support.
“Taormina has gained international visibility and market share in recent years,” he said. “We will do everything possible to protect that brand, maintain service quality, and return to normality as soon as possible.”
While the coming months are expected to be challenging, local authorities insist that recovery efforts are already under way — with the stakes high not just for infrastructure, but for Sicily’s wider economic resilience.
