• Education
    • Higher Education
    • Scholarships & Grants
    • Online Learning
    • School Reforms
    • Research & Innovation
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Fashion & Beauty
    • Home & Living
    • Relationships & Family
  • Technology & Startups
    • Software & Apps
    • Startup Success Stories
    • Startups & Innovations
    • Tech Regulations
    • Venture Capital
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cybersecurity
    • Emerging Technologies
    • Gadgets & Devices
    • Industry Analysis
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Advertise with Us
  • Privacy & Policy
Today Headline
  • Home
  • World News
    • Us & Canada
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • Africa
    • Middle East
  • Politics
    • Elections
    • Political Parties
    • Government Policies
    • International Relations
    • Legislative News
  • Business & Finance
    • Market Trends
    • Stock Market
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Corporate News
    • Economic Policies
  • Science & Environment
    • Space Exploration
    • Climate Change
    • Wildlife & Conservation
    • Environmental Policies
    • Medical Research
  • Health
    • Public Health
    • Mental Health
    • Medical Breakthroughs
    • Fitness & Nutrition
    • Pandemic Updates
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Tennis
    • Olympics
    • Motorsport
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV & Streaming
    • Celebrity News
    • Awards & Festivals
  • Crime & Justice
    • Court Cases
    • Cybercrime
    • Policing
    • Criminal Investigations
    • Legal Reforms
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • World News
    • Us & Canada
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • Africa
    • Middle East
  • Politics
    • Elections
    • Political Parties
    • Government Policies
    • International Relations
    • Legislative News
  • Business & Finance
    • Market Trends
    • Stock Market
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Corporate News
    • Economic Policies
  • Science & Environment
    • Space Exploration
    • Climate Change
    • Wildlife & Conservation
    • Environmental Policies
    • Medical Research
  • Health
    • Public Health
    • Mental Health
    • Medical Breakthroughs
    • Fitness & Nutrition
    • Pandemic Updates
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Tennis
    • Olympics
    • Motorsport
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV & Streaming
    • Celebrity News
    • Awards & Festivals
  • Crime & Justice
    • Court Cases
    • Cybercrime
    • Policing
    • Criminal Investigations
    • Legal Reforms
No Result
View All Result
Today Headline
No Result
View All Result
Home World News Europe

Swiss village prepares to evacuate – DW – 11/16/2024

November 16, 2024
in Europe
Reading Time: 4 mins read
A A
0
Swiss village prepares to evacuate – DW – 11/16/2024
1
SHARES
2
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


The danger could quickly become fatal: A good 1.2 million cubic meters (42 million cubic feet) of rocky debris could tumble down the valley and bury the Swiss mountain village of Brienz beneath it. The debris is currently moving at a daily rate of around 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) towards the valley.

Last weekend, the geologist Stefan Schneider explained to about 90 local residents at an information event that if there were rainfall or rockfall, the speed could increase to 80 kilometers per hour (49.7 miles per hour) or more. He said that this was not likely at the moment, but if it occurred, it would likely not be possible to issue warnings in time. 

People have been told to get ready to evacuate in the coming days and warned that they might not be able to return to their homes for months. 

“Please prepare yourselves immediately,” warned Pascal Porchet, the head of the military and civil protection office for the canton of Graubünden. He told the villagers to take any valuables with them that could not be replaced, as well as whatever they needed for their daily lives.

Aerial view of a village against the backdrop of the mountains
The village of Brienz was evacuated for weeks in 2023Image: Gian Ehrenzeller/KEYSTONE/picture alliance

‘A feeling of fear’

“Since this morning there has been a feeling of fear, or perhaps, uncertainty,†Arnold von Allem, who has a house in Brienz, told Swiss radio broadcaster SRF. On Saturday morning, the authorities informed residents by text message, email and on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) of the acute danger. Ursin Bonifazi, a farmer, told SRF about his concerns: “We are afraid of the evacuation, and we are afraid of the whole process.”

The evacuation will prove particularly difficult for those farmers who, like him, have animals. The livestock be removed from the pastures or stables and taken away. But it remains to be seen where they can go.

The same question stands for the localal residents. Jörg Marguth, who is manning a hotline for those affected, said that the municipality and canton would help people find accommodation. But he said that most would have to make their own arrangements. 

Second evacuation in two years

Brienz locals have had to leave before. In May 2023, there was the risk of a rockslide and the area remained closed for weeks. In June of the same year, a huge torrent of rock and debris thundered down the mountain. It stopped just a few meters away from the old school building. All the buildings in Brienz were spared, but one road and several meadows were buried under meters of scree and rubble. Residents weren’t able to return to their homes until July.

Now, the danger is potentially much greater. While the rocky debris in 2023 fell during a dry period, the rubble is now wet following a bought of rain and is more likely to bury the village, said Schneider. Though a tunnel is currently being built underneath the village to drain excess water at a cost of 40 million Swiss francs (€42 million, $45 million), it is not yet finished.

The faces of several cows
Livestock, too, must be evacuated, but it’s not easy to find them new homesImage: Jens Büttner/dpa/picture alliance

Insurance only pays in case of total loss

Brienz is located near Davos, where the World Economic Forum takes place every year, at an altitude of around 1150 meters. The mountain over the village has been moving for a long time, as cracks in the buildings and the slant of the church tower indicate. The ground beneath the village slides down into the valley at a rate of 2.40 meters per year.

“That’s 20 centimeters a month,” said one of the participants at the information event. He said that the damage this was causing continued to grow. “Doors that no longer close, sewers that no longer work, walls, ceilings, floors torn apart. That’s my reality.”

He also complained that although he had insurance, he would only receive a payout in the event he lost everything: “Security doesn’t just mean survival, but also emotional and existential security, and if my house, which is part of my retirement plan, goes down the drain, then I’ll have no existential security,” he said.

Climate and erosion threaten Britainâ€s heritage

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

Not due to climate change

According to an online commentary in a Swiss newspaper about the current situation in Brienz, climate change is exacerbating erosion but was not relevant in this case. After the rockslide of 2023, the geomorphologist Michael Dietze from the University of Göttingen in western Germany said that the permafrost in the Alps was thawing as a result of human-made climate change,  but this was happening at an altitude of around 3,000 meters. He said that Brienz was too low for climate change to be the cause of this landslide.

Nevertheless, Switzerland is shifting, said Dietze. Processes on the earth’s surface were changing, especially at higher altitudes. Due to rising temperatures, forests were also now growing at higher altitudes, and this was providing more stability. At the same time, however, the permafrost was thawing. And this in turn was leading to more activity between the rock layers at higher altitudes.

This article was originally published in German.



Source link

Previous Post

Santa Claus comes to town

Next Post

President Herzog cancels trip to Baku climate conference, citing security concerns

Related Posts

Less life satisfaction, more meaning – DW – 06/01/2025

Less life satisfaction, more meaning – DW – 06/01/2025

June 1, 2025
6
Turkey sees sharp rise in obesity – DW – 06/01/2025

Turkey sees sharp rise in obesity – DW – 06/01/2025

June 1, 2025
4
Next Post
President Herzog cancels trip to Baku climate conference, citing security concerns

President Herzog cancels trip to Baku climate conference, citing security concerns

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Family calls for change after B.C. nurse dies by suicide after attacks on the job

Family calls for change after B.C. nurse dies by suicide after attacks on the job

April 2, 2025
Pioneering 3D printing project shares successes

Product reduces TPH levels to non-hazardous status

November 27, 2024

Hospital Mergers Fail to Deliver Better Care or Lower Costs, Study Finds todayheadline

December 31, 2024

Police ID man who died after Corso Italia fight

December 23, 2024
Harris tells supporters 'never give up' and urges peaceful transfer of power

Harris tells supporters ‘never give up’ and urges peaceful transfer of power

0
Des Moines Man Accused Of Shooting Ex-Girlfriend's Mother

Des Moines Man Accused Of Shooting Ex-Girlfriend’s Mother

0

Trump ‘looks forward’ to White House meeting with Biden

0
Catholic voters were critical to Donald Trump’s blowout victory: ‘Harris snubbed us’

Catholic voters were critical to Donald Trump’s blowout victory: ‘Harris snubbed us’

0

What to do with too many U.S. dollars in cash? todayheadline

June 1, 2025
Poles vote in pivotal presidential election

Poles vote in pivotal presidential election

June 1, 2025
Opinion | This moment in US-China rivalry is Asean’s chance to remake the bloc

Opinion | This moment in US-China rivalry is Asean’s chance to remake the bloc

June 1, 2025
Egypt Independent

South Korea is voting for a new president after six months of political chaos. Here’s what to know

June 1, 2025

Recent News

What to do with too many U.S. dollars in cash? todayheadline

June 1, 2025
3
Poles vote in pivotal presidential election

Poles vote in pivotal presidential election

June 1, 2025
3
Opinion | This moment in US-China rivalry is Asean’s chance to remake the bloc

Opinion | This moment in US-China rivalry is Asean’s chance to remake the bloc

June 1, 2025
2
Egypt Independent

South Korea is voting for a new president after six months of political chaos. Here’s what to know

June 1, 2025
2

TodayHeadline is a dynamic news website dedicated to delivering up-to-date and comprehensive news coverage from around the globe.

Follow Us

Browse by Category

  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Basketball
  • Business & Finance
  • Climate Change
  • Crime & Justice
  • Cybersecurity
  • Economic Policies
  • Elections
  • Entertainment
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Environmental Policies
  • Europe
  • Football
  • Gadgets & Devices
  • Health
  • Medical Research
  • Mental Health
  • Middle East
  • Motorsport
  • Olympics
  • Politics
  • Public Health
  • Relationships & Family
  • Science & Environment
  • Software & Apps
  • Space Exploration
  • Sports
  • Stock Market
  • Technology & Startups
  • Tennis
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • Us & Canada
  • Wildlife & Conservation
  • World News

Recent News

This CEO went from bagging groceries at Publix to founding a $3.4 billion cyber company—with little tech background 

This CEO went from bagging groceries at Publix to founding a $3.4 billion cyber company—with little tech background  todayheadline

June 1, 2025

What to do with too many U.S. dollars in cash? todayheadline

June 1, 2025
  • Education
  • Lifestyle
  • Technology & Startups
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Advertise with Us
  • Privacy & Policy

© 2024 Todayheadline.co

Welcome Back!

OR

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Business & Finance
  • Corporate News
  • Economic Policies
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Market Trends
  • Crime & Justice
  • Court Cases
  • Criminal Investigations
  • Cybercrime
  • Legal Reforms
  • Policing
  • Education
  • Higher Education
  • Online Learning
  • Entertainment
  • Awards & Festivals
  • Celebrity News
  • Movies
  • Music
  • Health
  • Fitness & Nutrition
  • Medical Breakthroughs
  • Mental Health
  • Pandemic Updates
  • Lifestyle
  • Fashion & Beauty
  • Food & Drink
  • Home & Living
  • Politics
  • Elections
  • Government Policies
  • International Relations
  • Legislative News
  • Political Parties
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Middle East
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Cybersecurity
  • Emerging Technologies
  • Gadgets & Devices
  • Industry Analysis
  • Basketball
  • Football
  • Motorsport
  • Olympics
  • Climate Change
  • Environmental Policies
  • Medical Research
  • Science & Environment
  • Space Exploration
  • Wildlife & Conservation
  • Sports
  • Tennis
  • Technology & Startups
  • Software & Apps
  • Startup Success Stories
  • Startups & Innovations
  • Tech Regulations
  • Venture Capital
  • Uncategorized
  • World News
  • Us & Canada
  • Public Health
  • Relationships & Family
  • Travel
  • Research & Innovation
  • Scholarships & Grants
  • School Reforms
  • Stock Market
  • TV & Streaming
  • Advertise with Us
  • Privacy & Policy
  • About us
  • Contact

© 2024 Todayheadline.co