Violent storms hit Switzerland, France and Italy, leaving at least 7 people dead
Image credit: Saas-Grund/Bidermatten
Violent storms hit Switzerland, France, Austria, and Italy on June 29 and 30, 2024, resulting in at least seven fatalities. The storms caused flash floods, landslides, and widespread infrastructure damage, particularly impacting Switzerland and northeastern France.
Severe storms swept over parts of France, Switzerland, and Italy on June 29 and 30, 2024, claiming the lives of at least seven people. According to local reports, the storms brought rainfall rates of as much as 27 mm (1 inch) per hour for about 2 to 3 hours, resulting in torrents of water, mud and debris rushing down the mountain, leaving catastrophic consequences.
In Switzerland, four people were killed, and one more person is missing. In northeastern France, three fatalities were reported.
Police in Switzerland reported that side valleys south of the River Rhone experienced particularly heavy rain overnight on June 30, causing severe flash floods that caught many by surprise.
Camping sites along the Maggia River were evacuated, and part of the small Visletto road bridge collapsed. Further north, the Rhone River burst its banks in several areas of Valais canton, flooding a highway and a railway line.
Three people died after torrential rains triggered a landslide in the southeastern, Italian-speaking canton of Ticino. A man was found dead in a hotel in Saas-Grund in the southwest canton of Valais, likely due to a sudden rise in floodwater. Another man is missing in Valais, according to police reports on June 30.
BREAKING: Rare dual top-end Level 3 areas have just been issued by ESTOFEX ahead of tomorrow’s expected regional severe weather outbreak. Damaging winds, very large hail and a few, possibly strong, tornadoes are likely across portions of Western Europe. pic.twitter.com/uvF7QTtv62
— Nahel Belgherze (@WxNB_) June 28, 2024
Catastrofaal noodweer treft Z-Zwitserland
— Johanns (Alpen)weer (@Alpenweerman) June 30, 2024
In Oberwallis – Snelweg A9 overstroomd. Saastal, Goms, Zermatt en Getwing zijn zwaar getroffen. De hevige onweersbuien van de afgelopen uren hebben in Oberwallis tot overstromingen, aardverschuivingen en puinstromen geleid. Ook zwaar… pic.twitter.com/l2pQi0chLB
De door overstromingen achtergelaten puinhopen zondagochtend in Saas-Grund.
— Johanns (Alpen)weer (@Alpenweerman) June 30, 2024
via https://t.co/F9kbOKqDNI pic.twitter.com/IJC86qjtsj
Bilder vom Vallemaggia heute Morgen… pic.twitter.com/eCk0jVVhvt
— Matthias Sänger (@myweather_ch) June 30, 2024
Grootschalige overlast en schade door de overstromingen en puinstromen vanaf het oostelijke Oberwallis (Obergoms) tot aan Mittelwallis. In het bijzonder ook in de zijdalen met hun riviertjes en beekjes die tot verwoestende water en puinstromen werden. pic.twitter.com/oL4PiVS5A0
— Johanns (Alpen)weer (@Alpenweerman) June 30, 2024
De Vislettobrug in Cevio, in de Maggia-vallei in Ticino, . De brug rond 3 uur 's nachts “weggevaagd door de rivier” en werd het bovenste deel van de vallei geïsoleerd. Ook elders in Ticino (Tessin) catastrofale toestanden door het hevige noodweer. via https://t.co/4DVtxSGbXM pic.twitter.com/qtA1FtMq09
— Johanns (Alpen)weer (@Alpenweerman) June 30, 2024
Ook verder naar het westen in Wallis overstromingen in de stedelijke gebieden door het vele water wat de #Rhone rivier moest afvoeren. Beelden overstromingen in Sierre / Chippis pic.twitter.com/gFYe6c00qN
— Johanns (Alpen)weer (@Alpenweerman) June 30, 2024
Vanochtend, kort voor 07.00 uur, werd een bemanning van Air-Glaciers ter versterking opgeroepen om een evacuatie uit te voeren in de regio Chippis / Sierre (VS) na de overstroming van de Rhône. AirGlaciers pic.twitter.com/jva3xXn5Ty
— Johanns (Alpen)weer (@Alpenweerman) June 30, 2024
De gevolgen van 27 mm neerslag per uur gisteravond in de regio van Saas-Grund / Mattmark. Niet enkel de neerslag was boosdoener vd catastrofale gevolgen maar veel meer de combinatie van hoge #SVG (2800-3500m) en de sterke #sneeuwsmelt door hoge #VG pic.twitter.com/xjDzDvKYAr
— Johanns (Alpen)weer (@Alpenweerman) June 30, 2024
Zermatt tonight.
— Dave Throup (@DaveThroup) June 29, 2024
8 days after the last severe flood.pic.twitter.com/TUY0bAYAPz
In France’s northeastern Aube region, three elderly individuals, aged in their 70s and 80s, died on June 29 when a tree fell on their car during fierce winds. A fourth passenger was critically injured, as reported by the local authority to AFP.
In Italy, floods, thunderstorms, and landslides affected various northern regions, particularly the Aosta Valley.
Firefighters conducted approximately 80 rescue operations, evacuating dozens of people in the northern Piedmont region. Several villages were isolated due to overflowing streams, storms, and landslides in the Valle D’Aosta region.
More huge hail from last night in Piemonte, cars and roofs are damaged if not destroyed, the severity of the event in the daylight is evident. Photos by Adriana Gencarelli from Forno Canavese@Djpuco what do you say, do we get up to an estimated 10 cm here? pic.twitter.com/qvpnYVX4O2
— Federico Pavan (@PavanFederico00) June 30, 2024
Terrible situación se está desarrollando en los valles alpinos del noroeste de Italia, donde las lluvias torrenciales están provocando inundaciones repentinas que amenazan la vida. Estas imágenes provienen desde Noasca, en el Valle de Orco.
— Centinela35 (@Centinela_35) June 30, 2024
Crédito: Pro-Loco Noasca pic.twitter.com/3uQZKPtT9M
#Maltempo #Piemonte, proseguono interventi dei #vigilidelfuoco per i danni causati dalle forti piogge nell’alto Verbano e nella provincia di Torino. Nella clip ricognizione aerea con l'elicottero Drago su San Benigno Canavese, Usseglio e Noasca [#30giugno 11:00] pic.twitter.com/LdQobUfLjO
— Vigili del Fuoco (@vigilidelfuoco) June 30, 2024
References:
1 Seven dead after storms lash France, Switzerland – AFP – June 30, 2024
2 At least 4 dead as storms in Switzerland and Italy cause flooding and landslides – AP – June 30, 2024
3 Unwetter fordert ein Todesopfer in Saas-Grund – im Binntal wird eine Person vermisst – Pomona – June 29 and 30, 2024
I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
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