The devastating storms that swept south of Austria claimed five lives on Thursday. In a very short time, gusts of wind with speeds of up to 140 km/h caused enormous devastation, causing the power supply and rail traffic in parts of the affected states to collapse. The emergency services had to repair the damage until late into the night and on Friday the cleanup and repair work continued: But the next storm front has already reached Austria.
The strong wind gusts initially reached Carinthia in the afternoon. Sometimes huge trees were knocked down like matches or even uprooted, two little girls aged three and eight died in the Lavant Valley and 13 other people were injured, some seriously. The power supply in Eastern Carinthia collapsed, thousands of households were temporarily without power, as did Styria, which was hit by the storm moments later.
“Extensive extent of damage”
Here too, the strong gusts of wind caused great damage, high-voltage lines broke and tens of thousands of households were affected by power outages. “The extent of the damage is enormous,” said Urs Harnik-Lauris, spokesperson for Energie Steiermark, in the APA interview. Thousands of households were still disconnected from the electricity grid on Friday and work was in full swing.
Hikers killed by trees
The storm claimed three more fatalities in Lower Austria around 5 p.m. Five hikers were surprised by the strong wind gusts on the “Alpinweg” in Gaming. As a result, numerous beech and spruce trees fell, one of the trees hit two Lower Austrians aged 52 and 58 and the 57-year-old Upper Austrian. All help came too late for them. The women’s two companions were unharmed—dramatically, they wanted to make an emergency call, but there was no network.
To get help, both then ran to a parking lot and were able to meet a bystander who raised the alarm.
Parks and forest areas remain closed
A number of emergency services were needed in the affected areas until late into the night to repair the damage. But in many places, roads and paths, but also parks and forest areas are still closed, the danger of other trees falling is too great.
Train traffic further restricted
Rail traffic in southern Austria is also still severely affected. The company announced on Friday evening that the cleanup and repair work was in full swing and that thanks to the efforts of the ÖBB repair teams, many obstacles had already been solved. However, the Leoben to Friesach and St. Michael to Wald am Schoberpass routes will remain closed all Friday. Normal operation is not expected by ÖBB until Monday. An up-to-date overview of faults can be found here and here.
Next storm front with thunder and heavy rain
But it’s not over yet, Friday thunderstorms with heavy rain have already reached the south of the country. In Carinthia, Salzburg and Vorarlberg and in parts of Tyrol there is a local risk of flooding due to heavy rain. Heavy rain and thunderstorms are also expected in the east from the afternoon, the storm center warned. Hail and showers are also possible. The weather situation is not expected to improve until after the weekend.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
