ASIEH NAMDAR, CNN ANCHOR: Life is slowly returning to normal in the Alpine region of northern Italy and southern Switzerland, as people struggle to recover from the death and devastation caused by recent floods, Italy was the hardest hit, but as Swiss TV SRI reports, the floods were just one of a series of disasters to strike the state of Valais in the Swiss Alps.</s>MICHAEL MORRIS, SWISS TV-SRI (voice-over): The Matterhorn, one of Switzerland's most famous peaks and the pride of Canton Valley -- the peace and tranquility often found in this southern Swiss state has had to face an increasing number of natural disasters. Continuing heavy rains in the southern Alps has led to the swelling of mountain streams. In mid-October, one third of the village of Gondo (ph) was wiped out, leaving no hope for survivors. In another village, the pressure built up by the stream brought on an explosion of mud and rock, washing away everything in its wake. This man was only just able to save his life, he says many were in their nightclothes and could hardly get out in time. Above another village nearby, wave upon wave of mud and rock flattened vineyards, barely stopping short of buildings. The valley town of Brig, hit by devastating floods in 1993, narrowly escaped a similar fate --some foundations were washed away, but new hydraulic bridges kept the torrent from flooding the town. In September '93, two people were killed and many wounded after debris dammed the bridges, leaving the streets of Brig swamped in mud. Not only floods and mudslides have hit the valley -- the harsh winter of '99 brought with it a series of destructive avalanches throughout Switzerland, one of the worst was in the village of Evelyn (ph), which killed 10 people. Although such tragedies have happened in the past, the heavier and more frequent rainfall over the last decade is reason for concern in the Alpine community, but for now, the prime target is to assess the damage, an overwhelming task for the helpers and the Canton Valley. This is Michael Morris of Swiss Television and Swiss Radio International for CNN WORLD REPORT.
Swiss Alps Has History of Natural Disasters