Deterred entry: Avalanche hazard confronts the Swiss town of Brienz, barring access
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Dangerous Shores Again: Avalanche Threat Looms Over Swiss Village of Brienz
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The picturesque Swiss mountain village of Brienz in Graubünden now finds itself under the looming threat of a devastating debris avalanche. For a while, the approximately 80 villagers managed to return to their daily routines, like tending to their fields during the day. However, it's back to square one as the entire area has been sealed off, inaccessible to all.
In the Lötschental valley of the canton of Wallis, the village of Blatten was almost entirely buried by an ice and debris avalanche at the end of May this year. It all began when boulders tumbled down from above the village onto a lower glacier, causing it to fracture and plunge, taking millions of cubic meters of material with it.
Above Brienz, a whopping 1.2 million cubic meters of rock masses slid two years ago. Although officials saw this coming and evacuated the village, the massive rock pile stopped just shy of the first homes. Yet, there are still menacing rock and debris masses on the mountain that continue to pose a threat. The danger escalates significantly after rainfall.
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Sources: ntv.de, dpa
- The community policy in Brienz should consider implementing measures to inform residents about the ongoing risk of avalanches and necessary evacuation procedures, particularly in relation to the looming threat of a debris avalanche.
- In light of the recurring avalanche threats in villages like Brienz, it is crucial that employment policies in environmental-science fields, specifically those focusing on climate-change and weather, are strengthened to better monitor and predict such events, aiding in the protection of affected communities.
