Persistent rain prevents Brienz evacuees from returning to houses

Persistent rain, and the fear of houses collapsing, has delayed the return of many storm evacuees to the Swiss town of Brienz.

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The situation around the Milibach waterway is still under control, according to the regional management body (RFO) Oberer Brienzersee. However, continuous rain is forecast until Sunday evening.

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Machines are being used to clear the channel in the stream and compensate for weak points in the temporary protection system. At the moment, a lot of water is flowing in the Milibach, which is flushing the fine material from the resulting channel into the lake in a controlled manner. The Lammbach, Glyssibach and Trachtbach waterways are also under observation.

Last Monday, a storm hit the village in the Bernese Oberland hard. Around 70 people were evacuated. Some residents were able to return to their homes over the course of the week. However, six houses are in danger of collapsing, as was announced on Friday. The rubble in the flooded district of Aenderdorf is around five metres high.

Brienz was already badly hit by a storm in 2005. Back then, the Glyssibach brought death and destruction. Since then, extensive protective measures have been implemented.

Translated from German by DeepL/mga

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