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Switzerland: Flood: 2005/08/23 Country Information on DRR

Period 2005/08/23
Country or District Switzerland
Event Type Flood
Outline Three people died and hundreds of people were evacuated from their homes as Switzerland and its neighbours struggled with flooding after days of torrential rainfall in the northern Alps.
Summary
Human Impact Physical Impact Others

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Report/Articles

Reuters AlertNet 2005/08/26
Residents in the oldest part of Switzerland's capital Berne were kept away from their homes on Friday due to fears buildings could be swept away by surging waters after a week of heavy rain and flooding. The worst of the flooding, which killed more than 40 people across Europe, was over by Friday but Berne police spokesman Franz Maerki said there were concerns that flood waters from brimming lakes upstream could wreck centuries-old buildings.

BBC News 2005/08/27
In the Swiss capital, Bern, and the nearby Oberland region, more than 1,000 residents were allowed back, although water and electricity were still cut. Vital roads and train routes linking the north of Switzerland to the south were also reopened. Communities across the region face a massive clean-up operation.

Swissinfo 2005/08/25
Clean-up operations were in full swing on Thursday after flooding caused serious damage in many parts of Switzerland. As the situation eased, the deathtoll rose to five and insurers estimated the economic cost of the natural disaster at more than SFr1 billion ($0.8 billion).

BBC News 2005/08/25
In the Swiss capital Bern, helicopters have been used to pluck people from rooftops and residents are braced for more rescues amid rising water levels.

BBC News 2005/08/23
Floods have brought chaos to a large swathe of central Switzerland, triggering landslides and cutting roads and railway lines. At least six people are reported dead or missing, including two firefighters killed by a mudslide on Monday. Floods halted rail services through the Alps towards Italy and several major roads were closed and villages cut off.

SwissInfo 2005/08/23
Three die and hundreds flee as Alpine floods spread.