Destructive flooding strikes French and Swiss Alps

Heavy rainfall and snowmelt caused catastrophic flooding in the French and Swiss Alps on June 11, 2024. In the French village of La Berarde, 97 people were stranded, and in Switzerland’s Zermatt, the Mattervispa river flooded the town center.

Heavy rainfall combined with runoff from melting snow led to catastrophic flooding in the French and Swiss Alps on Friday, June 11, 2024. This event caused significant disruptions and required emergency responses in multiple areas.

In the French village of La Berarde, located within Ecrins National Park, heavy rains and melting snow from substantial late spring snowfall destroyed the bridge over the Etançons Torrent. This event cut off the only access into or out of the village, leaving 97 people stranded. Helicopters evacuated all residents and tourists earlier today.

Approximately 135 km (84 miles) east of La Berarde, in Zermatt, Valais Canton, Switzerland, the same weather system caused the Mattervispa River to partially burst its banks. The resulting flood inundated the town center, halting all rail and road transport.

Swiss federal authorities raised the danger level for parts of the canton of Valais to the second-highest level, Level 4, on Friday afternoon.

The river Rhone and its tributaries were at risk of bursting their banks due to the ongoing flooding. Authorities warned that the discharge of the Rhone had been at a high level since the morning and was expected to rise further, potentially causing additional flooding and landslides in the tributaries.

In response to the escalating situation, the canton of Valais raised the warning level for the entire canton from a warning to an alert level.

References:

¹ Flooding in Switzerland after heavy rainfall – AA – June 21, 2024

² Swiss resort of Zermatt off-limits due to flooding risk – SwissInfo – June 21, 2024

Featured image credit: Securite Civile