Public service Storms cost almost a billion in 2024
Storms claimed more lives in Switzerland in 2024 than at any time for a quarter of a century. In addition, debris flows, floods, rockfalls and landslides caused damage amounting to CHF 904 million - more than at any time since 2005.
24.09.2025, 08:00
SDA
This is according to the evaluation of the storm damage database published on Wednesday by the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL).
The WSL lists a total of 13 storm-related fatalities for 2024. The last time there were higher numbers of victims was in 2000, when a total of 20 people lost their lives in storms in Switzerland, as Käthi Liechti from the WSL explained when asked by the Keystone-SDA news agency.
As with the long-term average, most of the damage in 2024 occurred during the summer months. What was special, however, according to the report, was that almost 85 percent of the annual damage was concentrated in the month of June. Most of this was due to the major storms in Misox GR, Valais and Ticino on June 21, 29 and 30.
