Bavona Valley in Ticino is evacuated – parts of Sierre VS uninhabitable
Published: Friday, Jul 5th 2024, 17:40
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In Ticino, the evacuation of the Bavona Valley began on Friday due to the threat of further rainfall. In Sierre in Valais, more than a hundred people are unable to return to their homes following the storms. The rainfall forecast for the weekend is also causing concern in Valais.
The population of the Bavona Valley was almost completely evacuated by helicopter on Friday. This was announced on Friday by the regional command staff (SMRC), which is responsible for dealing with severe weather events in the Maggia Valley. Precautionary measures have been taken due to the expected rainfall over the next few days and the risk analysis, it said.
Further evacuations are planned for Saturday. Afterwards, the roads leading to the areas affected by the measures will be closed to private traffic. For those who cannot be accommodated with relatives or friends, accommodation will be provided at the civil protection center in Ascona, according to the press release.
Meanwhile, two more fatalities have been identified in Ticino, according to the cantonal police. They are a 67-year-old Swiss man from Locarno and a 61-year-old woman from Basel. Both were found dead in the bed of the Maggia river in Riveo.
Building no longer habitable
In Sierre in Valais, some buildings are no longer habitable after the storms. The municipality has set up a support network for the 114 people affected. The municipality was concerned about the weather forecast with heavy rain and the threat of the Rhone level rising again on Saturday. The cantonal management body (KOF) issued recommendations to the population on what to do.
In Chippis, around 30 residents in three buildings still have no electricity. In the Upper Val de Bagnes, two successive debris flows blocked a bridge at around 5.30 pm on Thursday, as reported by the deputy municipal secretary. The inhabitants of the village of Lourtier are isolated again.
The Valais municipality of Binn has drawn up a preliminary damage assessment. The power supply and the hydropower infrastructure of Gommerkraftwerke AG were severely damaged by the Leng Valley water, which rose due to the extremely heavy rainfall last weekend. The affected hydropower plants were completely shut down for several months. A 52-year-old power plant employee was still missing on Friday, according to the municipality.
The power supply to the hamlet of Heiligkreuz is still interrupted due to the massive damage, it was reported. The residents of the hamlet, which belongs to the municipalities of Binn and Grengiols, were evacuated on Sunday. The cantonal and private road infrastructure up to the hamlet of Heiligkreuz was also severely damaged. The restoration work would take weeks.
Army in action
The army is extending its deployment in military disaster relief and adapting it to the request situation, as it announced. Over 300 members of the armed forces are currently providing support in the Saas Valley, Goms and Val d'Anniviers in Valais. The deployment is scheduled to last until July 21.
The army is also providing air support to the affected area in Ticino. Preparations are still underway for the construction of a support bridge in the Maggia Valley, it was reported.
A13 passable again
Following the storms in the southern Graubünden valley of Misox two weeks ago, the A13 San Bernardino route, an important north-south transit route, was reopened on Friday. The section of road near Lostallo GR that was washed away by the storms can now be used as a single lane.
Nevertheless, the Federal Roads Office (Astra) recommends that the route should not be chosen as an alternative route to the A2 at the Gotthard for the time being.
Insurers with 13,000 claims notifications
The first half of the year in Switzerland, which was characterized by heavy rainfall and numerous storms, is also reflected in Mobiliar Insurance's accounts. The insurer is expecting high storm claims of over CHF 75 million for the first six months of 2024.
According to Mobiliar, floods are likely to account for around CHF 47 million of the storm costs in the first half of the year and hail for around CHF 17 million.
So far, Mobiliar has received more than 13,500 claims notifications, according to the statement. And these figures are likely to rise. For the devastating events at the end of June in Valais and Ticino alone, Mobiliar estimates losses of CHF 32 million.
A total of at least eight people have died after two weekends of severe weather in Switzerland. Six people are still missing.
©Keystone/SDA
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