SPIEGEL ONLINE: Ms. Pezzopane, what was your personal experience of the earthquake here in Abruzzo?

Pezzopane: I had been worried for months because we had already experienced a serious tremor last year on Nov. 30. In the early hours of Monday morning, I was at home in L'Aquila. At 11 p.m., there was an initial quake. Then there was another one at 2 a.m. Then came the big one, like a gigantic monster that shook our home in a rage. I still get goose bumps when I think about it.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: How did you get to safety?

Pezzopane: The ceiling was already starting to collapse, so I immediately ran to my daughter. We grabbed each other and ran out of the house without taking anything with us. Our cell phones didn't work. We desperately tried to reach family members. Just a few hours later, when the first news of casualties began to emerge, I was already at work. I haven't seen my family since. Our house is destroyed and my family is sleeping in tents and cars -- and living just like all the other earthquake victims.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Are you satisfied with the work the authorities did both before and after the quake?

Pezzopane: For hours on end, everyone has been working as hard as they can. But I am not at all happy with the way things have been organized. For the last three months, we knew about -- and have been concerned about -- ongoing tremors. Even if many scientists say that it is impossible to predict earthquakes, it is nevertheless clear that, here in Abruzzo, we live in a seismically active zone. The buildings here were not built to withstand earthquakes.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Why weren't people evacuated from the area prior to the disaster?

Pezzopane: After the earthquake on Nov. 30, we asked the authorities if there was any acute danger. The Major Risks Committee at the Civil Protection agency told us that there was no problem. But they should have immediately started working on developing and implementing an evacuation plan. Even now, we still don't have enough tents -- not because the emergency response personnel aren't professional, but because there wasn't a plan that was adequate for dealing with a catastrophe like this. It may be true that one can't predict an earthquake, but one can develop an adequate response.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: What do you think the consequences of the earthquake will be?

Pezzopane: Reconstruction will take a lot of time. The first thing we must do is survey the buildings. This morning, the provincial government resolved to inspect all schools in the area. But there are a number of other problems that must also be addressed.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: How much money do you think the province will ultimately need to get back on its feet?

Pezzopane: Several billion. And, of course, we're not going to be able to come up with it ourselves. We're hoping to get some support from Rome, but also from abroad. Italy has always helped other countries, and now we need help.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Who will play the leading role in reconstruction, federal or regional authorities?

Pezzopane: Hopefully both of them. We need to work together.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: When it comes to financing the reconstruction, how do you intend to hold speculators in check and keep politicians from using it to further their own personal goals?

Pezzopane: It would be wrong to add to the horror we have just lived through with another one. The province of L'Aquila has decided to only accept aid that is earmarked. Cities will make partnerships with communities that want to help, but the provincial government will dictate to these communities where the money should go.