Early on Sunday morning May 20, a 5.8 magnitude earthquake was recorded in northeast Italy that killed 7 people and resulted in significant structural damage. Subsequently, at least 20 aftershocks have taken place, including another quake that occurred on May 29, north of Bologna, that killed at least another 16 people.

In comments posted on the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) website after the first quake, Professor Doriano Castaldini, a professor at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia and local expert on earthquakes—and now himself an evacuee—said “it was one of the largest recorded earthquakes to occur in the region since Ferrara in 1570.”

Lauding praise on “the after-quake response of public authorities,” the professor noted that “the civil protection agency was working well with the Red Cross, local police and fire brigade to handle public safety.” But, Professor Castaldini also noted, “the response crew found themselves facing a big challenge: how to combat false rumors circulating among a public that is lacking in knowledge about earthquakes.” “The body of knowledge,” he went on, “is very low in this culture. I would urge policy makers to push for education on hazards to begin at primary school, starting with lessons made by experts and [sic] for leaflets to be disseminated. There are many people who are trying to do this in Italy, for instance, through the Internet, but unfortunately, knowledge about earthquakes and hazards in general is still very low.”

Along with the loss of life and damage to the infrastructure, some 300,000 wheels of Parmesan and Grana Padano cheese worth an estimated €200 million have been destroyed as a result of the May 20 quake. The BBC also reported that “the region’s world-famous balsamic vinegar industry was also hit.”