Brienz, Switzerland ? This small, tidy town at the foot of the picturesque Bernese Alps – normally packed with tourists and hikers this time of year – was covered instead by mud and debris Friday after days of devastating flooding.

Soldiers guarded against looting, large sections were cordoned off, and residents counted the cost of this week’s floods, which killed a mother and her daughter and destroyed homes.

“We are not free from the danger yet,” said Peter Fuchs, 50, who was born in Brienz and has lived his whole life in the town. “I have been lucky up to this point, but it could break and everything could come down again.”

The death toll from flooding in Switzerland and other parts of Europe rose Friday to 43.

Recovery operations were under way and high waters were slowly receding, but many areas remained under water and forecasters predicted more rain.