On 29 June 2024, a summer football tournament in the Swiss Alps was struck by a catastrophic storm that moved a mountain and destroyed a forest. The event, held annually in Campo Draione, a remote pitch in the Maggia valley, was attended by around 200 people. Organiser Daniele Rotanzi had noted a level 3 storm warning from MeteoSwiss and moved the stage indoors, but the scale of the disaster was unforeseen.
The storm, triggered by hot air from the Mediterranean colliding with the Alps, caused extreme rainfall that swelled the Maggia river. The resulting debris flow and landslides reshaped the landscape, moving part of a mountain and obliterating large swaths of forest. The tournament was brought forward from its usual July date to avoid a fireworks event, a decision that may have altered the outcome.
Meteorologists had been concerned about the conditions, following a deadly debris flow in Sorte, Graubünden, a week earlier. The Mediterranean's surface temperature had been six degrees above average in spring 2024, setting June records. The storm's violence magnified the consequences of every decision, highlighting the chaos inherent in natural disasters.
The full extent of the damage and any casualties remain under assessment. The event underscores the disproportionate impact of extreme weather, which can turn a routine gathering into a life-threatening ordeal.
