The impact of Climate Change on radiological emergencies in Italy: a case study in a Nuclear Medicine department

The global climate is changing, as the earth becomes warmer, and the Mediterranean has been indicated among the regions most sensitive to climate change. The impact of climate change is more and more burdensome, not only because extreme weather events are increasing in frequency and intensity but also because the severity of the impact depends on the vulnerability of the system. Therefore, the consequences of events such as tornadoes and floods should be considered and managed in hospitals where radioactive substances are held and employed. In this article two cases of accident due to flooding or heavy rain in a nuclear medicine department are considered.