It took two days for Marcella May to reach her cousins in L’Aquila Italy, where in the early morning hours of Monday, April 6, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake shook the city in the Abruzzo region, about 70 miles outside of Rome, killing 207, according to the latest reports from Italian newspaper America Oggi.
It was reportedly the deadliest earthquake to hit Italy in 30 years.
May, a Community Associate with Community Board 10, had been born in the town but moved to Ozone Park when she was three. Her two cousins, their children and grandchildren are still there, so when she was not able to reach them, even on cell phone, she was understandably worried.
“We didn’t know anything until we saw it on the news,” said May. “But then my godchild’s mother suggested we contact other family in Rome. If there was any bad news, I thought they would have been advised.”
Luckily, she said, other relatives informed her that no one had been hurt.
“That’s what we needed to hear,” she said.
Others were not so lucky.
Some 1,500 were injured as a result of the natural disaster that also destroyed about 14,000 buildings.
“It’s a tragedy for us here in the U.S.,” said Father Rene, a missionary who officiates the Italian Mass at St. Luke’s Church in Whitestone. “It doesn’t make any difference where [when you] lose people you love.”
On Tuesday morning, April 7, as L’Aquila suffered an aftershock of 4.1 on the Richter scale, May was finally able to get through to her cousins.
“Almost everyone is homeless at this point,” she said.
Even towns outside of the epicenter have been badly affected.
Quintino Cianfaglione, President of COM.IT.ES. NYCT, (“The Council of Italians Living Abroad”) said his wife had traveled to his hometown of Pratola Peligna, 25 miles outside L’Aquila, and was there when the quake hit.
“I was very worried,” said Cianfaglione, whose brother, sister and nephews are there as well.
He was able to get in touch with them by cell phone right away, he said, noting that his family is sleeping outside in a tent, and that Italian authorities are checking bridges and tunnels for structural damage. Only emergency vehicles are allowed on the highways, he said.
May told The Courier that her family informed her that the Italian government is not allowing anyone to return until the all clear is given.
“They want to rebuild,” she said of the residents, adding, “It could have been a lot worse, there could have been a lot more deaths, considering the seriousness of this earthquake. It is a terrible thing that happened, but they are fortunate to be alive.”
