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Today’s storms are part of a long history of summer thunderstorms and severe weather. Time and time again they cause enormous damage and even claim fatalities. These were the worst storm disasters of the past 36 years:
Summer 1987
The cantons of Graubünden, Uri, Ticino and Valais are severely affected by flooding. A total of eight people are killed. On July 19, the municipality of Poschiavo GR is destroyed. On August 25, the Reuss plain is flooded and the Gotthard transit route comes to a standstill. There is material damage of 1.3 billion Swiss francs.
September 1993
After heavy rainfall, the Saltina Brig VS, which overflowed its banks, was destroyed. There are two deaths, the damage amounts to some 600 million Swiss francs.
July 1994
The Falli-Hölli holiday area in Plasselb FR starts to slide after heavy rainfall. On July 10, 36 chalets are destroyed. Damage amount: about 15 million francs.
December 1995
The highest Christmas flood since 1918 kept military service in the Canton of Aargau and in the Bernese Oberaargau on December 26 in suspense.
May 1999
On 15 May, heavy rainfall led to flooding along the Aare between Thun and Bern, in the Linth plain and in the Lake Constance area. The damage totals 580 million Swiss francs.
October 2000
After continuous rain, a landslide rips away parts of the village of Gondo, USA, killing 13 people. Elsewhere in the canton of Valais, three more people are killed in floods. The damage caused by the storms on October 13 and 14 amounts to CHF 670 million. At the same time, Lake Maggiore flooded part of Locarno TI.
November 2002
Continuous and heavy rainfall around November 16 causes landslides and flooding throughout Switzerland. In Schlans GR in the Vorderrheintal, a landslide causes several injuries. The Gotthard and Simplon railways are interrupted. In Lully near Geneva, about 100 people have to be evacuated due to flooding.
June 2004
After continuous rainfall, the Aare overflowed its banks at various points between Thun and Bern on 3 June. The Matte district in Bern is closed. In Obwalden, the Sarnersee floods the Sachseln train station. A ten-year-old boy drowns in a raging stream in Wasen BE.
August 2005
Heavy rainfall between August 21 and 23 caused extensive damage in several regions of Switzerland. Road and rail lines across the Alps are interrupted. A total of seven people are killed. Parts of Bern, Lucerne, Sarnen OW and Engelberg OW are under water. The total damage amounts to 3 billion Swiss francs.
Summer 2007
Between June and August, numerous storm fronts with hail storms pass through Switzerland, sometimes causing serious damage. On 8 June, three people died in flooding in Huttwil BE and Eriswil BE.
July 2009
Severe thunderstorms, rain, hail and high winds cause damage and hinder traffic in several regions of Switzerland on July 17. In Grafenort NW, two children are swept away by the swollen Gerlibach and drown.
October 2011
In the Bernese Oberland, Valais and Central Switzerland, numerous streams and rivers burst their banks on October 10 after heavy rain and melting snow, flooding several roads and railway lines. Major damage occurs in Bern, in the Kander and Lütschinen valleys and in the Lötschen valley.
June 2013
On June 20, a storm swept across the grounds of the Federal Gymnastics Festival in Biel, blowing infrastructure elements through the air. One man succumbed to his injuries a year and a half after the event. More than 90 people were injured, most of them lightly.
July 2014
A flood, which according to meteorologists only occurs once every 350 years, devastates parts of the Emmental on July 24. The Schangnau BE area is particularly affected. But there are also floods elsewhere in Switzerland.
November 2015
In Switzerland, six people die from storms, five of them after landslides in Ticino and Graubünden. In a long-term comparison, this is an above-average number of storm deaths, according to the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL).
Summer 2021
Hail and flooding after storms cause damage of 450 million francs in Switzerland – the highest value since 2007, WSL writes. An unusually high number of storms are sweeping across Switzerland in quick succession, according to the Bundesamt. In Lucerne, parts of the old city are under water.
March 2023
On 31 March this year, a storm in Lüscherz BE and Büren zum Hof BE derailed two trains. 15 people are injured, one seriously. (SDA/sq)
Source:Blick
I am Liam Livingstone and I work in a news website. My main job is to write articles for the 24 Instant News. My specialty is covering politics and current affairs, which I’m passionate about. I have worked in this field for more than 5 years now and it’s been an amazing journey. With each passing day, my knowledge increases as well as my experience of the world we live in today.
