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WEATHER

Rain storms cost 300 million francs a year

Bad weather cost Switzerland almost 14 billion francs over the past 42 years — an average of around 300 million francs a year, according to a new report.

Rain storms cost 300 million francs a year
Photo: Commune de St. Gingolph/Facebook

The Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WLS) said weather events — such as the heavy rain that caused extensive flooding in parts of Western Switzerland last week — cost the country 13.7 billion francs ($14.7 billion) between 1972 and 2014.

The figures from WLS, reported on Sunday by state broadcaster RTS, emerged as the Neuchâtel, Morat and Biel lakes dropped on the weekend from critical levels after a week of higher than normal rainfall.

The previous weekend communities such as Saint Gingolph in the canton of Valais sustained property damage after a river flooded its banks, while landslides in the canton and in Vaud blocked roads and rail lines.

Of the period studied, 2005 marked the worst year for bad weather, with heavy precipitation over three days in August that year triggering flooding, landslides and mudslides that caused 2.5 billion francs in damages.

Total damages for the year amounted to 3.1 billion francs.

WLS said the canton of Bern was the worst affected, sustaining damages totalling 3.03 billion francs, ahead of Ticino (1.88 billion francs) and Valais (1.69 billion francs).

The figures quoted in the report do not include damage cause by avalanches, earthquake tremors, lightning, hail and storms.

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SKIING

Two skiers killed in Swiss avalanche

Two cross-country skiers have been killed in an avalanche near the plush resort of Klosters in southeast Switzerland, police said Saturday.

Two skiers killed in Swiss avalanche

The accident happened on Friday, the Graubunden regional police said.

“In the Schintersiten area they took a slope with a steep gradient,” a police statement said.

“Several avalanches broke out and dragged the two men about 200 metres down the rocky terrain.

“As a result, both the 54-year-old and his 57-year-old companion, both of whom lived in the canton of Bern, were fatally injured.”

The Graubunden public prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation alongside the cantonal police.

Before Friday’s accident, 12 people had lost their lives in avalanches in Switzerland since October 1 last year, according to statistics from the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research.

A total of 142 avalanche-related accidents have occurred, with 188 people swept away.

Earlier this month, six cross-country skiers went missing in a storm near the southern luxury resort of Zermatt. The group, aged 21 to 58, included five members of the same family.

Five bodies were recovered and the search for the sixth person was ultimately called off.

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