Only limited damage after the three recent storms

It’s now slowly becoming clear what damage was caused by the storms Petra and Sabine and the subsequent Tomris - which had significantly less impact on traffic and the environment. Forests and buildings were mainly affected, with around 350 reports of building damage, according to the director of Zug Gebäudeversicherung (building insurance) Richard Schärer. The total damage currently amounts to around CHF 725,000. “Above all, the storms displaced roof tiles and blew them down. Some facades were damaged by flying objects, and a number of doors and blinds were also affected.”

The total amount of damage could increase slightly, however, because, according to the law, building owners have one year to report damage. "We estimate that most of the damage has already been reported to us, however" says Schärer. Overall, the amount of damage is relatively small., but his team was kept busy last week by the incoming reports. “We sometimes couldn't pick up all the calls, and some people had to call several times to speak to someone.” The damage has now been recorded and confirmed in writing. The building insurance only inspects major damage on-site, however. “Most roofers know that the first thing to do is take a picture of the damage. That’s how we can estimate it,” explains Schärer

Barn roofs in particular are more likely to be damaged due to their simple construction

The woods and forests in the canton were noticeably affected by the storm. According to the head of the Department for Forest and Game, Martin Ziegler, the damage is limited in comparison to the storm Burglind at the beginning of 2018. "Around 5,000 cubic meters of wood fell - four times less than during Burglind." The Ennetsee region was above all affected, but the wind also blew over some trees in the Raten area of Oberägeri. It’s now safe to enter most woods and forests, however. "But it is important that local barriers, which may still exist here and there, are also respected."

The sale of the additional wood is now a challenge for the owners: "Because of the normal logging in winter, the markets are already saturated," explains Ziegler.

Farmers, on the other hand, have experienced little to almost no damage. As the rector of the Agricultural Education and Counselling Centre LBBZ Schluechthof Martin Pfister explains, only a few high-stem fruit trees fell victim to the storm. "These storms in winter are less of a problem for the trees, because they have no leaves at the moment, and thereby offer less surface for attack." The rubbish/waste that was blown onto the fields is probably a bit more of a problem. There was some damage to buildings, however. "Agricultural buildings are usually a little more exposed." In addition, barns are usually constructed in a simpler manner. "Farmers can usually repair the damage to their buildings themselves," said Pfister.