Valais lifted the alarm on Sunday morning and the state of special situation in progress since Friday evening due to the flooding of the Rhône and numerous rivers in the side valleys. Most of the evacuated people were able to return to their homes.
“The situation is stabilizing and the decline continues,” the cantonal control body (OCC) indicated on Sunday, which prompted it to raise the alarm. However, river flows still remain high, floods have weakened the banks and landslides can occur locally, the OCC nevertheless specifies. He calls on the population to be careful in the coming days and to “avoid going near the bed of rivers”.
Several overflows and debris flows took place along the rivers of the side valleys, for example in the region of Zermatt, Val d’Anniviers or Evolène. “Work to restore infrastructure and the road network is underway,” notes the OCC.
>> A look back at the events of Friday and Saturday: Valais lifts the state of “special situation”, the water flow remains high
Several months to return to normal
Contacted on Sunday, officials in particularly affected areas said they were initially relieved that there had been no human losses. However, they emphasize that the damage is significant. Beyond the figures, which no one can yet articulate precisely – we are talking about tens of millions of francs – it will take “several months to complete the work and return to a normal situation”.
“Currently, the situation is catastrophic,” explained the president of the municipality of Anniviers David Melly on Sunday, specifying that around ten machines are currently in Navizence to secure it. The river, which has its source on the heights of Zinal to flow into the Rhône at Chippis, has caused a lot of damage.
Temporary solutions for sewers and drinking water
Banks, pipelines and roads parallel to the river were destroyed. This is the case in the Val d’Anniviers, but also in Evolène, in the Val d’Hérens, where it was the Borgne which overflowed. Thanks to redundancies, the two municipalities remain supplied with electricity, except in several hamlets where generators have been installed. Temporary solutions will be put in place for the sewers and to supply the drinking water networks, cut off in Zinal and Evolène.
In Evolène, “the main drinking water pipe was destroyed”, notes Patrick Sierro, vice-president of the municipality and head of the municipal staff. For now, “we are working with the firefighters to pull pipes and using tanker trucks. We have opened excavations to begin repairs,” he adds. For the future, the municipality will take stock with the canton on Monday to determine what urgent measures must be taken on the bank and in the bed of the river.
In the Val d’Anniviers, a project to secure the Navizence has been underway since the storm events that occurred in 2018. “Some of the anticipated measures which have already been carried out have confirmed the quality of the project. Everything must be carried out as quickly as possible. as quickly as possible”, continues the president of Anniviers David Melly.
>> Also listen to the report from 12:30 p.m. Sunday at noon:
Zermatt is no longer cut off from the world
Since Saturday evening, Zermatt is no longer isolated. Trains are running again between Täsch and the Valais station. Between Visp and Täsch, on the other hand, the Vispa river “massively” affected the line. Replacement buses are running on the road which was also reopened on Saturday evening.
“Due to the limited capacity of alternative traffic, waiting times may today be longer in Täsch as well as in Visp,” Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn said on Sunday.
>> Update on the situation in Graubünden: Body found after landslide in Graubünden, two people still missing
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