Swiss village evacuated over threat of rockslide
GENEVA (AP) — Swiss authorities cleared a village in the country's east over a potential rockslide, three weeks after a mudslide submerged a vacated village in the southwest.
Residents of Brienz/Brinzauls, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) southwest of Davos, were being barred from entering the village because a rock mass on a plateau overhead has 'accelerated so rapidly that it threatens to collapse,' a statement from local officials said Monday.
Farm work in the area was also being halted, and livestock owners moved their animals out of nearby pastures due to early warning signs on Sunday.
Authorities said the region is closely monitored by early-warning systems in the town, which is no stranger to such evacuations: Villagers had been ordered out of Brienz/Brinzauls in November and in June two years ago — before a huge mass of rock tumbled down the mountain, narrowly missing the village.
The mountain and the rocks on it have been moving since the last Ice Age. While glacier melt has affected the precariousness of the rocks over millennia, local authorities say melting glaciers due to 'man-made' climate change in recent decades hasn't been a factor.
The centuries-old village straddles German- and Romansch-speaking parts of the eastern Graubünden region and sits at an altitude of about 1,150 meters (about 3,800 feet). Today, it has under 100 residents.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
4 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Tropical Storm Erick in the Pacific near southern Mexico is expected to become a hurricane
MEXICO CITY (AP) — A hurricane warning was issued Tuesday for a portion of southern Mexico as Tropical Storm Erick gained strength in the Pacific Ocean, forecasters said. The National Hurricane Center said Erick was expected to rapidly intensify and become a hurricane by late Tuesday or early Wednesday. The cyclone was centered about 265 miles (427 kilometers) southeast of Puerto Ángel, Mexico, on Tuesday morning. The tropical storm had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kph), the Miami-based center said. It was moving west-northwest at 9 mph (15 kph) and forecast to approach the coast by late Wednesday. The storm's projected path would take its center near the resort of Acapulco, which was devastated in October 2023 by Hurricane Otis, a Category 5 hurricane that rapidly intensified and caught many unprepared. At least 52 people died in Otis and 32 were missing, after the storm severely damaged almost all of the resort's hotels. Guerrero state Gov. Evelyn Salgado said Tuesday that lessons were learned from that storm. She announced the closure of all schools across the state for Wednesday and said 582 shelters were prepared to receive people who might evacuate their homes. A hurricane warning was in effect from Puerto Ángel to Punta Maldonado in coastal southern Mexico. The hurricane watch stretches west of Punta Maldonado to Acapulco and east of Puerto Ángel to Bahías de Huatulco. A tropical storm watch was posted east of Puerto Ángel to Salina Cruz. The rainfall may produce flooding and mudslides, the center said, and storm surge could produce coastal flooding.
The Hill
5 hours ago
- The Hill
Tropical Storm Erick in the Pacific near southern Mexico is expected to become a hurricane
MIAMI (AP) — A hurricane warning was issued Tuesday for a portion of southern Mexico as Tropical Storm Erick gained strength in the Pacific Ocean, forecasters said. The National Hurricane Center said Erick was expected to rapidly intensify and become a hurricane by late Tuesday or early Wednesday. The cyclone was centered about 265 miles (427 kilometers) southeast of Puerto Ángel, Mexico, on Tuesday morning. The tropical storm had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kph), the Miami-based center said. It was moving west-northwest at 9 mph (15 kph) and forecast to approach the coast by late Wednesday. A hurricane warning was in effect from Puerto Ángel to Punta Maldonado in coastal southern Mexico. The hurricane watch stretches west of Punta Maldonado to Acapulco and east of Puerto Ángel to Bahías de Huatulco. A tropical storm watch was posted east of Puerto Ángel to Salina Cruz. A hurricane warning means hurricane conditions are expected in the area, and preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion, according to the NHC advisory. Heavy rainfall up to 20 inches (51 centimeters) was forecast for parts of Oaxaca and Guerrero with lighter amounts in Chiapas, Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco states. The rainfall may produce flooding and mudslides, the center said, and storm surge could produce coastal flooding.
Hamilton Spectator
14 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Tropical Storm Erick forms near southern Mexico, National Hurricane Center says
MIAMI (AP) — Tropical Storm Erick formed early Tuesday near southern Mexico and is expected to become a hurricane by Wednesday, the U.S. National Hurriane Center in Miami said. The storm was about 450 miles (725 kilometers) southeast of Punta Maldonado, Mexico, with maximum sustained winds of 40 miles per hour (60 kmh), the center said. Erick was moving west-northest at nearly 12 miles an hour (19 kmh). THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP's earlier story follows below. MIAMI (AP) — A hurricane watch was in effect Tuesday for southern Mexico as a tropical depression in the eastern Pacific gained strength. The depression was likely to become a tropical storm later Tuesday and a hurricane Wednesday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said. It had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (56 kph) and was moving west-northwest at 12 mph (19 kph), forecasters said. The depression would be named Erick when its winds reach tropical storm strength of 39 mph (63 kph). It was centered about 495 miles (800 kilometers) southeast of Punta Maldonado in Mexico's Guerrero state and was forecast to approach the coast by late Wednesday. A hurricane watch was posted for a stretch of the Pacific coast from Bahia De Huatulco, which is in Oaxaca state, to Punta Maldonado. A hurricane watch means hurricane conditions, with winds exceeding 74 mph (119 kph), are possible in the area within two days. A tropical storm watch was in effect further south from Salina Cruz to Bahia De Huatulco. Heavy rainfall was forecast for parts of Oaxaca and Guerrero with lighter amounts in Chiapas, Tabasco and Veracruz states as well as parts of El Salvador and Guatemala. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
