Locals have explained that the buildup of ash can cause damage to infrastructure, blockages in their gutters and damage to their homes, as well as an increased risk of flooding due to the effect that volcanic ash has on the sewer system.
Sicilians and Catanese people (those from the city of Catania) have a special relationship with the volcano that has dominated their landscape and lifestyle for thousands of years. Some residents refer to Etna with female pronouns, describing “her” as angry in moments when volcanic activity is higher. There are many other myths and legends as well. One purports that Etna is the residence of Hephaestus, the blacksmith of the Greek gods, and the eruptions are a result of activity in the subterranean forge. Another legend claims that one of Zeus’s brothers, a giant named Encedalus, was punished by Zeus for various misdeeds, causing the mountain to collapse around him and trap him inside, where he still lives, his rage inciting eruptions and earthquakes.
