A Swiss village is evacuated because of a threat of a mudslide
The evacuation Saturday night was calm and orderly, local spokesman Matthias Ebener told Swiss newssite 20 Minuten.
'Everyone was able to find private accommodation with relatives or friends, or in other hotels. The tourists affected were relocated to nearby hotels,' he said.
It wasn't immediately clear when the residents would be able to return to their homes, but likely not before Tuesday.
'There is a real risk of rockfalls,' Ebener said, referring to the nearby Kleine Nesthorn Mountain and the Birch Glacier.
Several hiking paths and roads were also temporarily closed.
Last year, residents of the village of Brienz also had to pack up their belongings and leave because of the threat of a possible rockslide from an Alpine mountainside overhead.
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Forbes
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No, Hurricane Activity Is Not Behind Schedule Right Now
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Hurricane formation is impeded by such conditions, however, there are signs that conditions will become more favorable in the coming weeks. In fact, the latest European model ensemble 'teases' something to watch in the coming week. I will come back to that in a moment. Atlantic hurricane and tropical storm activity from 1944 to 2020. I will respectfully push back on narratives that we are 'off to a slow start.' The most active part of the Atlantic season is the period spanning August to October with September representing the climatological peak. As noted, by some metrics, this may be the 'slowest' start since 2009. However, here is a reality check. The third named storm of the year typically forms on August 3. This year, the third named storm, Chantal, formed in early July. The first hurricane does not typically form until August 11, according to NOAA data. The first major hurricane (category 3 or higher) does not develop, on average, until September 1. 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UNICOI COUNTY, Tenn. (AP) — In a rugged patch of the Appalachian Trail in eastern Tennessee, volunteers size up a massive, gnarled tree lying on its side. Its tangled web of roots and dark brown soil, known as a root ball, is roughly the size of a large kiddie pool. The collection of volunteers and staff from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and local organizations, doesn't plan to move the tree. Instead, their job is filling the gaping holes left by it and many other downed trees along iconic East Coast trail. Almost a year since Hurricane Helene tore through the mountains of the Southeast, restoration is still ongoing. In places like the Appalachian Trail it's powered primarily by volunteers, at a time when federal resources are strained and uncertain . That labor, made up of people spanning several generations and continents, aims to not only return the trail to its former glory but make it more resilient against future inclement weather. 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But root balls are still a major problem because of how labor-intensive it is to deal with them. When a tree tips over, the root ball lifts a big chunk of earth with it. Filling that hole can sometimes take a week, said Matt Perrenod, a crew leader with the conservancy. The trail runs along the spine of the Appalachian Mountains, and that rough terrain means crews must rely on hand tools like shovels, rakes and pruners to do the job, rather than heavy equipment. The conservancy also has to consider more sustainable improvements to the trail, such as building steps or features like water bars, which are essentially little ditches that divert rainfall off the side of the trail. It's a slow process, Perrenod said, but a worthwhile venture to improve the experience of hikers. 'You don't actually want to think about the thing you're walking on very much. You just want to walk on it,' said Perrenod, who hiked the Appalachian Trail's entirety about a decade ago. 'Well, if we don't do the work, you won't be able to do that. You'll spend all your time climbing over this tree and walking around that hole.' Volunteers travel the world to help out Partnering with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service has long been a critical component of preserving the Appalachian Trail. Through contracts, Perrenod said the agencies fund equipment, gas and the wages of some Appalachian Trail Conservancy staff members like himself. The Forest Service also helps the group lug their gear up to the trail, he said. That's why Perrenod says it's imperative the federal government does not slash those agencies' budgets and workforces . Disrupting support for volunteers could be detrimental for the trail's restoration, as volunteers provide 'a lot of muscle' to complete the vast majority of its maintenance, he said. In Helene's aftermath, volunteerism across the region was 'super high' because everyone wanted to help, Stowe said. This year, interest in volunteering has dipped, Stowe said, but he's heard from people all over the country — and the world — who cited Helene as a major reason they wanted to come out and help. Among the volunteers on the July maintenance trip were three visitors from Japan who work on long-distance trails back home. They were enthusiastic to learn about best practices for improving trail longevity and take those ideas back to Japan. The trio was also motivated by their own experience with natural devastation. After Japan's massive 2011 earthquake and tsunami, volunteer Kumi Aizawa said people from across the globe came to rebuild. By restoring part of the Appalachian Trail, she's returning the favor. ___ Seminera reported from Raleigh, North Carolina.
