Natural hazards

How concerned people experience natural hazards

Avalanche

At the beginning of 2018, Zermatt (VS) was repeatedly cut off from the outside world because of avalanches. Both the road and the railway line between Zermatt and Täsch were closed. Locals and around 13,000 tourists were trapped in the town and airlifts were arranged by helicopter.
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Romy Biner-Hauser has been the mayor of Zermatt since 2017. She is the first female mayor in the history of the world-famous resort. Trained in PR, she also works in the hotel industry.
© Ephraim Bieri | Ex-Press | BAFU

«Anyone following the international media might have thought Zermatt was facing a disaster. I was astonished by how wide the gap can be between self-image and public image. Although we were cut off from the outside world, we were not lacking for anything. Some people were frightened though. When it snows that hard and you are restricted in what you can do, it causes uncertainty for visitors. But I grew up here and experienced similar situations many times when I was younger.»

 

Debris flow

In the evening of 11 August 2019, heavy storms caused the River Losentze in the village of Chamoson (VS) to overflow its banks. A car carrying two people was swept away by the debris flow. They are still missing.
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Guy Monnet works in Chamoson’s technical service department. His home overlooks the Losentze, which regularly brings debris flows through the village.
© Ephraim Bieri | Ex-Press | BAFU

«It all happened incredibly fast, but we locals know that this small river can swell to a raging torrent in just a quarter of an hour following a big storm. From our house, I can see a pedestrian bridge that crosses the Losentze. People always go and stand there to get a close-up view of the spectacle. When the debris flow started there were tourists standing on the bridge. I immediately ran down there to warn them. The river regularly runs high, but I’ve never seen a debris flow as big as that before.»

Rockfall

At 2.30am on 26 July 2013, 130,000 cubic metres of rock fell on the del Lago alpine meadow in Val Mesolcina in Grisons. A herdswoman standing by the alpine hut was hit by a rock and died. Seventeen participants and leaders of a youth camp were evacuated unharmed.
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Alessandro Wellig works for the Grisons police and, as chief rescue officer of the Swiss alpine rescue centre in San Bernardino (GR), is responsible for Val Mesolcina and Val Calanca.
© Ephraim Bieri | Ex-Press | BAFU

«That was a tragic accident; the herdswoman was just incredibly unlucky. If she had been standing only two or three steps to the side, she would not have been hurt. There have been more rockfalls in the mountains generally in recent years. We know which regions are affected, and when we are out and about in those areas we are more careful. It is hard to say whether this increased frequency is chance or a consequence of climate change. But I definitely have the feeling myself that more rock is coming down.»

Landslide

It has been known for decades that the ground in Brienz/Brinzauls (GR) and on the local mountain is moving, and in recent years the rate of creep has increased. The measuring points in the village are now moving downhill by more than a metre per year, and those on the rock ledge above the village are travelling more than four metres per year. The church tower leans precariously to one side.
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Georgin Bonifazi grew up in Brienz/Brinzauls, a village with a population of 100. He is a father of four, and a farmer – like his father before him. Much of the Bonifazis’ land is located in the landslide area.
© Ephraim Bieri | Ex-Press | BAFU

«Two years ago we built a new house here in Brienz because our children want to keep the farm going. The house is deliberately made of wood so that it will not be affected as much by the moving subsoil. Our entire existence is up here. If we had to leave Brienz, it would be a disaster for us. The critical area is constantly being monitored by lots of different instruments, so we’re not exactly in fear of our lives. Otherwise we would have to pack our bags immediately.»

Last modification 03.06.2020