Landslides did not spare the municipality of Sorte in Graubünden on Friday evening.Keystone
Thunderstorms and very heavy rainfall caused flooding and landslides in the valley on Friday evening.
The search continued on Monday in the Mesolcina valley, in the south of Graubünden, to find the two people still missing since the floods and landslides caused by the violent bad weather on Friday. At the same time, numerous works to restore communication routes and other buildings are taking place, in Graubünden and Valais, the most affected regions, while insurers assess the damage.
“Two people are still missing in the Mesolcina valley (Misox). The search was not interrupted during the night.”
A spokesperson for the cantonal police
Four people were initially reported missing. On Saturday morning, emergency responders were able to rescue a woman and take her to hospital. On Sunday, the body of one of the three missing people was found.
Repairs
The first estimates of the damage were carried out by the cantonal property insurance company. Some 200 buildings were damaged in the valley, for an amount estimated in “tens of millions of francs”, Marc Handlery, its director, told Keystone-ATS.
“Regarding transport infrastructure, the first repair work began on Monday on the A13, part of which was washed away near Lostallo, the motorway being cut from this municipality in Val Mesolcina. If weather conditions are favorable, it could be partially reopened to traffic, heading south first, in about a month.
Press release from the Federal Roads Office (FEDRO).
The closure of the A13 is signaled along the motorways. For French-speaking Switzerland, the route via the Simplon pass is recommended for journeys towards the south.
Public transport in Mesolcina resumed on Monday morning. However, the Graubünden authorities and the SBB have warned that irregular service and even delays should be expected. The cantonal road which crosses the valley was reopened on Sunday evening, but not for through traffic, added the police spokesperson.
The situation in the Upper Valais
Elsewhere in Switzerland, it was especially Valais, mainly its German-speaking part, which suffered the most damage during Friday’s bad weather. The Vispa River, which overflowed, massively affected the railway section between Visp and Täsch in three places. The restoration work is expected to last until at least the end of the week. Replacement buses are running. The railway section leading to Zermatt was already able to reopen on Saturday evening.
“Geologists and engineers are on site to analyze how this work can be carried out. The affected areas, waterlogged, “are no longer stable even though they are already difficult to access in normal times.”
A spokesperson for Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn
Beware of mosquitoes
Another consequence of these floods, mosquitoes spread explosively, especially around Lake Constance. We can already speak of an invasion, local authorities indicated on Monday.
So-called “flood” mosquitoes are particularly ferocious in their quest for blood, because they must reproduce quickly before favorable conditions disappear. “At dusk, at more than 18 degrees, they become aggressive,” specifies the manager. (jch/ats)
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