Lötschental in alarm level: tourists have to decide on departure!

Lötschental in alarm level: tourists have to decide on departure!

In the past few days, the Lötschental has struggled with severe natural events. The journey to the valley is currently not possible because the barrier in Goppenstein can only be passed for residents. In particular, the places Wiler, Tipple and Ferden are at risk of flooding. Due to a mountain range in Blatten, which counts 300 inhabitants, the highest alarm level was proclaimed because water threatens to flood more houses in the valley floor. The entire Lötschental has around 1,500 inhabitants and almost the same number of hotel beds. Despite the dramatic Situation, there is no arrangement for the evacuation of tourists by the cantonal authorities; Guests have the freedom to decide their departure themselves.

In the middle of May, around 12 tourists from Blatten had to be evacuated because all accommodations in this place were destroyed. In the meantime, over 1000 guest beds in the Lötschental remain available, of which 750 are on the Lauchernalp, which extends over 1800 meters. However, parts of the paths are blocked at altitudes for security reasons. In addition, the search for a 64-year-old missing person was hired in Blatten for security reasons, although no dead or injuries have been reported so far. This dramatic situation falls into a critical time after the ski winter and before the start of the summer season. Stuttgart news reported about the current developments.

measures for flood protection

The bedroom collector at Lonza north of Gampel-Steg represents another challenge in the region. This was retrofitted after he did not work in 2011 in the event of flooding, which led to significant problems. The concrete structure, which was built in 2007 to protect the villages of Gampel and Steg, has proven to be inadequate, since it was unable to hold the large amount of fine material back, especially in the 2011 flood situation. The retrofitting, which is now complete, includes a hydraulic deep shooter, which enables the complete closure of the passage when the danger is dangerous. 1815.ch reported by the measures taken to prevent future floods.

The total costs for the optimizations on the slope collector amount to one million francs, with 65% financed by the federal government and the canton and 11% by the Lötschen power plant. The rest is carried by the communities of Gampel-Bratsch and Steg-Hohtenn. The slope collector has the ability to hold up to 40,000 cubic meters of bedding in the event of floods and is an essential part of the flood protection measures that are planned in the region. This also includes the construction of a new sliding deposit space on the former Lonza area and the demolition of the former hydropower center of the Lonza works.