A storm has had a firm grip on the country since Thursday evening. The fire brigade has already had to carry out hundreds of missions – and it remains uncomfortable.
Instead of doing the final Christmas shopping, thousands of firefighters across the country are currently having to pack and store items.
And it will continue in this tone until Christmas Day, as Markus Goller from the severe weather center explains: “We are right between a high-pressure area in south-west Europe and the low ‘Zoltan’ over the Baltic states. Pressure equalization takes place in this zone, which can lead to wind speeds of up to 100 km/h until Monday.”
Tyrol and Lower Austria are particularly affected by the storm damage. A sigh of relief is not yet in sight. “Storm gusts of up to 100 km/h can be expected until Christmas Day, especially along the Northern Alps and in the east,” said UBIMET meteorologist Markus Goller.
“We expect massive operations,” the fire brigade said in view of the storm situation.
First fatality
On Friday evening, the storm claimed the first fatality in Lower Austria. In Klosterneuburg (Tulln district) a tree fell and destroyed a tree house on which a hunter was standing. All help came too late for the 81-year-old.
In total, the hurricane-like storm has caused about 130 firefighting operations across Lower Austria since Thursday evening, fire department spokesman Franz Resperger said. Power and telephone lines were damaged. There was a significant avalanche risk on some mountains.
Communities closed off from the outside world
In Tyrol, about 35,000 Tyrolean households were without power for hours due to a fallen tree. The problem was not largely resolved until Friday morning.
There were also road closures due to fallen trees – for example in the Reutte district. “Currently, the L268, Kaiserer Straße, between Steeg and Kaisers, the L267 (Gramaiser Straße) from the Häselgehr junction and the L266 (Bschlaber Straße) between the entrance to Elmen and the Boden district are closed to all traffic,” the state reported Tyrol in the afternoon.
The communities of Kaisers, Gramais and Pfafflar, including the districts of Boden and Bschlabs, are therefore temporarily inaccessible by road. Due to avalanche danger, the Ötztal Strasse and Venter Strasse also had to be partially closed.
Tree fell on bus
The hurricane-like gusts uprooted a large tree in Salzburg, which fell on a passing trolleybus. No passengers were injured in the incident; the 55-year-old bus driver was taken to hospital with minor injuries.
The aftereffects of the storm were clearly noticeable in the early morning traffic on the Tauernautobahn (A10), resulting in traffic jams. A strong storm is also expected in Salzburg on Saturday.
The fire brigade also calls on the public to be careful in view of the Christmas holidays: “Avoid unnecessary dangers outdoors, do not leave candles burning unattended and, especially on New Year’s Eve, be careful when dealing with pyrotechnics and observe the applicable regulations. account.”
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.
