Along the coasts of Southern Italy, it’s time to count the damage following Cyclone Harry. And the toll is truly devastating, especially on the Ionian side.

In Basilicata, Giuseppe Ferrara from the Sand D’oro beach resort (three umbrellas rating in our guide) estimates 80,000 euros in damage from the destruction of wooden structures and gazebos. “The sea ‘devoured’ 120 meters of beach, reaching all the way to the concrete structures, with 3-meter-high waves. My family has held this beach concession for 60 years, we had never seen a storm surge like this” Ferrara told Il Messaggero.

Things weren’t any better in Sicily, where in Letojanni alone, a town bordering Taormina, total damage amounts to 10 million euros. The waterfront was devastated and 300 meters of protective seawall were destroyed, as reported by La Sicilia. Serious damage occurred at Lido di Noto and Calabernardo, as well as throughout the island where initial estimates calculate over 700 million euros needed to restore the coastal towns.

In Calabria, there’s some consolation in the fact that there were no casualties, but the Calabrian Ionian coast was devastated with beaches wiped out and infrastructure destroyed, as reported by regional newspapers. In Roccella, Fiko Beach wrote: “The sea has disheveled our dreams but hasn’t taken them away. It moved the sand… not our direction. It hurts to see it like this because inside here there’s work, sacrifice and heart. Fiko Beach is still here.
More alive. More ours. More yours”.

In Sardinia, the most serious damage concerns Poetto beach, in Cagliari and Quartu Sant’Elena. This video shows images from Cagliaritoday. In Castiadas, Janas Beach suffered extensive damage. “To be able to restart and face the next season we need everyone’s help and solidarity. While continuing to believe in our philosophy that Janas is above all a family, we embrace with our hearts and great gratitude anyone who wants to help us by making a small donation!”, the managers wrote on social media.

Unfortunately, as Ferrara himself stated, these phenomena are destined to repeat in the future. “We must start thinking of Italy as a tropicalized country where these events could become increasingly frequent. This means working at the infrastructure and urban planning level to secure all coasts in the most sensitive areas. We beach operators are in contact with the government’s steering committee and we’re working especially for the cities of Southern Italy that suffered the greatest infrastructure damage. Among possible future interventions, we also hope for the installation of barriers on beaches and at sea that will make our coasts safer against storm surges or ‘high water’ like what happened in Venice”.

Italianbeach.club stands with all the establishments that had to face this harsh trial. We wish them a quick recovery so they can tackle a great summer 2026.

Opening photo: freak wave at Santa Cesarea Terme, Puglia (from Instagram)