After the storms, Brienz in the Bernese Oberland is in a state of destruction. It is unclear when residents will be able to return to their homes.
The water brought rubble to Brienz. It is still unclear how extensive the damage is.
After a hot day with temperatures of up to 36 degrees, heavy thunderstorms swept across the northern side of the Alps on Monday evening. In the Bernese Oberland, the canton of Aargau and central Switzerland, heavy rainfall led to mudslides and flooding.
Brienz in the Bernese Oberland has been particularly affected by the consequences of the storms. On Tuesday morning, the extent of the destruction became visible in the village: roads and railway lines are flooded, cars are destroyed, and driftwood is piling up in many places.
Seventy people were evacuated from their homes in Brienz on Monday. Most of the people were accommodated in private accommodation, said mayor Peter Zumbrunn at a media conference on Tuesday morning. Two people were injured and no one was missing.
A race against time
Early on Monday evening, after heavy rainfall in Brienz, the Milibach river overflowed its banks and flooded parts of the village. The water masses carried debris, rocks and driftwood into the residential area and damaged buildings, cars and roads.
The fire brigade, the Rega, the care team of the canton of Bern and the cantonal police were among those involved in the operation.
The rubble piles up several meters high in Brienz.
The municipality has declared the Brienz Änderdorf area a danger zone and has closed it off until further notice. The zone may only be entered for clearance work. Civilians are not allowed to enter.
It is not possible to drive through Brienz, the roads are closed. The Brienz-Rothorn railway has stopped operating due to damaged tracks. The rail and boat connections are also interrupted. Replacement buses are running between Brienz and Interlaken.
Specialists are assessing the damage to the buildings, said Mayor Zumbrunn at the media conference. It is not yet known when residents will be able to return to their homes. New thunderstorms are forecast for Brienz on Tuesday evening. Mayor Zumbrunn said: “There is a tight time frame to implement the measures.”
Tourists stayed overnight in the sports center
The heavy rain and gusts of wind also caused major damage elsewhere in the Bernese Oberland. According to initial estimates, the Bern building insurance company estimates the damage to be between 25 and 30 million francs. 200 damages have been reported so far, it said on Tuesday. The majority of the damaged buildings are in the communities of Brienz, Leissigen, Unterseen and Interlaken. The insurance company expects a total of 1,000 damage reports.
The train route between Interlaken and Meiringen is not passable due to storm damage, replacement buses are running. Delays and isolated train cancellations are to be expected between Spiez and Interlaken Ost. The SBB writes that the disruption is expected to last until Tuesday evening.
In Brienz there is a car where the trains usually run.
Grindelwald was temporarily only accessible by cable car or cog railway. Due to a landslide, the main road between Interlaken and Grindelwald is impassable. A side road has now reopened. The railway line between Grindelwald and Zweilütschinen is expected to remain closed until Friday, according to the Jungfrau Railways. The water and fallen trees have damaged the tracks and overhead lines.
On Monday evening, over 250 tourists were stuck in Grindelwald, said mayor Bucher. The municipality accommodated the tourists in a sports center, among other places, where they spent the night. Some tourists did not understand the measure, said Bucher. “But we did what we could.”
Capsized boats and flooded streets
Central Switzerland, Zurich and parts of Eastern Switzerland were also affected by heavy rain and hail. According to Meteo Switzerland, around 70,000 lightning strikes were recorded across Switzerland from Monday afternoon to early Tuesday morning.
At Zurich Airport, the storm affected air traffic: several flights took off, some of them several hours late. In the canton of Aargau, the fire brigade was called out 150 times. Several roads had to be closed due to landslides.
The Lucerne police received fifty emergency calls within two hours on Monday evening, and twenty reports in Zug. Trees fell onto the streets, boats capsized, and water flooded cellars. According to the authorities, there were no injuries.
The Bernese Oberland expression #Cholerabeschwarz in its purest form. Currently available on our #Weathercam in Heiligenschwendi above #Thun. A heavy thunderstorm is coming from the Simmental ⚠ Be careful on the #Thunersee! pic.twitter.com/OKjz4ZjAVG
— MeteoSwiss (@meteoschweiz) August 12, 2024
In the canton of Uri, a rockfall and mudslides occurred above the Axenstrasse between Flüelen and Sisikon. According to initial findings, the road was not damaged, writes the Federal Roads Office (Astra). On Tuesday afternoon, Astra partially reopened the Axenstrasse.
The rubble covers the streets in Brienz.
