Evacuation: Massive rocks threaten the Swiss mountain village of Brienz

On Tuesday evening, the local authorities informed the residents about the details. The village in Graubünden must be cleared by Friday 6 p.m.

It is around 25 kilometers as the crow flies southwest of Davos at an altitude of around 1,100 meters and should not be confused with the better-known Brienz, not far from Interlaken on Lake Brienz. Up to two million cubic meters of rock material are in motion above the village, reported the head of the early warning service, Stefan Schneider. According to the measurements, the rock masses are moving more than twice as fast as just a few weeks ago. The SRF news showed an impressive time-lapse video in the evening, in which the movement of the huge rock masses could be seen.

In motion for centuries

The region has been in motion for centuries. The village itself has been sliding towards the valley at a rate of around one meter per year for the past 20 years. It has been known for years that the rocky area called “Island” above the village is dangerous. Residents have known for a long time that eviction was imminent. The fact that the decision was made now also has something to do with the weather forecast, said Simon Löw, professor emeritus for engineering geology at the University of ETH Zurich, on Swiss television. Rain is forecast every day until Sunday, which could increase the speed of the slide.

Landslide “in the most extreme case”

It is unclear whether rubble and rubble hit the village. That is unlikely, said Löw. “But in the most extreme case (…) there can be a landslide. That’s something where the slope thunders down at a speed of 100 to 200 kilometers per hour, is in the village in 30 seconds and destroys the village.”

Climate change is making rockfalls more likely in some areas, such as where permafrost is thawing, debris and boulders are losing grip, or water is entering crevices and pressure is blowing off pieces of rock. According to Löw, this does not play a role in Brienz. There is no thawing permafrost and no connection has been established between annual precipitation and the flow rate of the terrain.

Localization: Brienz is located in the Swiss canton of Graubünden