Flood risk in Switzerland is gradually decreasing
Published: Friday, Dec 15th 2023, 18:40
Updated At: Friday, Dec 15th 2023, 18:40
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The risk of flooding in Switzerland has eased with the dry weather on Friday. Falling water levels in most bodies of water and a stable high in the next few days should ensure a gradual normalization of the situation.
However, the risk of flooding initially remained, particularly at the Jura lakes. According to the federal natural hazard map, the situation was most precarious at midday on Friday on Lake Biel and on the Aare from Lake Biel to the mouth of the Emme. The risk of flooding was high there. This corresponds to the fourth of five danger levels. At Lake Neuchâtel and Lake Geneva it was considerable - level three out of five.
According to the local authorities, the situation on the shores of Lake Biel is gradually stabilizing. After exceeding the high water mark on Thursday, the level of the lake is slowly falling, the city of Biel announced on Friday afternoon.
As more water is flowing downstream of Lake Biel at the weir in Port BE, the level of the lake is likely to drop even faster. As a result, the Aare will carry more water in the coming days, it was said.
The distribution of sandbags has ended. However, monitoring and prevention measures will continue over the next few days, in particular the closure of certain riverside paths.
Lake Neuchâtel level continues to rise
According to the Vaud authorities, the situation also eased on Lake Geneva. An improvement also seems to be in sight on Lake Neuchâtel, although the water level there rose on Friday and reached 430.36 meters. That is an increase of over one meter since last Saturday.
However, the mark of 430.71 meters set during the 2021 floods will not be reached, according to the disaster control authorities. The water level is expected to stabilize during the course of the day on Saturday and then gradually fall. However, it was still unclear how the increasing breeze on Saturday would affect the situation on Lakes Neuchâtel and Geneva.
Landslides and mudslides
In other parts of the canton of Vaud, the situation normalized and was no longer a cause for concern. There were more minor landslides. However, these did not cause any major damage.
The danger of rockslides, mudslides and rockfalls in Valais is still a concern. According to the cantonal geologist, the all-clear should not be given until the beginning of next week at the earliest. 15 people who had been evacuated as a precaution in Trient VS due to the risk of landslides were able to return to their homes on Friday.
A landslide that dammed up a mountain stream near Champéry in Lower Valais continued to pose a danger. The resulting lake, which is around 100 meters long and four to five meters deep, has not receded.
It could run off in one go at any time, which would result in major flooding. The situation on the ground is being monitored around the clock, as Emmanuel Perrin, head of the Val d'Illiez regional command staff, said.
Rhine open for shipping
The all-clear was also given in Basel. The restrictions on shipping were lifted on Friday, as the Swiss Rhine ports told the Keystone-SDA news agency on request. The "Basel-Rheinhalle" level dropped to below 790 centimetres in the afternoon. It was therefore below flood level IIb.
This means that the Rhine between the Mittlere Brücke bridge in Basel and Birsfelden is no longer closed to large ships. Small ships are also allowed to sail again between Basel and Rheinfelden AG. The ferries in Basel are also operating again.
Situation at Lake Sarnen under control
The situation also gradually calmed down in the canton of Obwalden. The water level of Lake Sarnen dropped to such an extent that the Zentralbahn (ZB) was able to operate again without restrictions from midday on Friday. Due to flooding, one track on the Brünig line between Sarnen and Giswil was closed on Wednesday. The suburban trains were replaced by buses.
The situation also eased for the residents of the flooded Sachsler Ried district, albeit only slowly. Knut Hackbarth, mayor of Sachseln, said on request that the water level of Lake Sarnen had dropped by six to seven centimetres during the night to Friday. No further fire department interventions were necessary.
©Keystone/SDA
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