2023 a relatively low year for storm damage

Storms caused more than CHF75 million ($85.1 million) worth of damage in Switzerland in 2023, making it a comparatively low damage year, despite the rockfall in Brienz in canton Bern and landslide in Schwanden in canton Glarus. Although there was major damage locally, there were no large-scale events for the most part, as shown by storm damage database analysis published on Thursday by the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL). The proportion of damage caused by landslides in 2023 was exceptionally high at 66% due to the landslide in Schwanden, Glarus, in August. At 7%, rockfalls were also responsible for a comparatively large proportion of the total damage – more than three times the long-term average. The rockslide in Brienz, Graubünden, in June was the main contributing factor. According to the report, floods and mudslides caused a relatively small proportion of the damage, accounting for 27% of the damage costs.