The Föhn storm raged across Tyrol on Friday at almost 200 km/h on the mountain and 100 km/h in the valley. Unfortunately, it also claimed a life: a man was hit by a falling tree and fatally injured. There were also road closures and power outages.
The fatal accident happened around 12 noon on Friday. As police told Krone, a local man (86) was driving his car along a forest road. As a tree fell on the road in front of him, he stopped the vehicle and got out. Shortly afterwards, another tree fell onto the road behind the car. A third tree eventually fell directly on the 86-year-old. A pedestrian called the emergency services. However, all help came too late.
Road closures and power outages
According to the state fire brigade association, around 165 weather-related operations were registered by early afternoon, mainly between Innsbruck and Jenbach and in the Wipptal. The main reason for this was fallen trees, which also resulted in short-term road closures. For example, the Kasbachstrasse between Jenbach and Achensee was closed, as was the Felbertauernstrasse between Lienz and Matrei and various streets in the Zillertal. The Brenner railway was also closed in the morning because trees had fallen on the overhead lines. A replacement rail service was set up for regional traffic to the Brenner.
The electricity grid was also affected. According to Tinetz, about 2,700 network customers were without power at the beginning of the afternoon.
Fourth highest value in measurement history
The weather service GeoSphere Austria measured a wind speed of 197 km/h on the Patscherkofel in Innsbruck on Friday – the fourth highest value since measurements began in 1977. GeoSphere recorded hurricane storms on many mountains, some well above 90 mph. . Even in the valley, speeds of more than 100 km/h were possible, especially in the classic Föhn areas such as the Wipptal – and in the Schmirn side valley as much as 124 km/h were measured.
In the main area of the Zillertal, in the rear Zillertal, wind gusts of 100 to 130 km/h were expected. It said that hurricane force up to 180 km/h is expected in the mountains. Therefore, a “red” warning level was issued. Here too the summit should be reached by noon. The state of Tyrol warned the population in a broadcast to take the warning seriously and adjust their behavior accordingly.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
