The storms dealt a serious blow to tradition in the Waldviertel. According to reports and research by “Krone”, the meter-long tops of several other trees broke off and the Stögersbach fire brigade even cut down their own tree out of necessity.
Allentsteig and Breitenfeld in the Zwettl district were not the only two maypoles hit hard by the storm. According to reports and research from Krone, the extent of seriously damaged trees in the Waldviertel is much wider.
The fire brigade cut down a tree that they had placed themselves
There was a feeling of anxiety in Stögersbach, in the municipality of Schwarzenau. The storm situation got so out of hand that the fire brigade decided to cut down its own tree again. “The storm may have partially torn or at least loosened the trunk from its anchorage,” Mayor Karl Elsigan said when asked. The huge gusts of wind caused the tree to bend enormously (see cover photo above). Ultimately, the goal was to defuse the dangerous situation.
But wasn’t it very dangerous to knock down the tree during this storm? “The tree fell exactly as experience shows it should fall. The fire brigade had it completely under control,” Elsigan emphasizes. We wait until the wind dies down before we want to put the tree up again.
Area cordoned off
The storm also broke the top of the maypole in Kleinschönau near Zwettl. The fire brigade also failed to put up the tree. The top broke off there too and a small radius around the tree was closed (see photo below). They want to wait out the storm, then cut down the tree again, repair or recreate the beautiful crown and then put it up again, according to local residents.
Storm surges tore off seven treetops in the Zwettl district
In addition to Allentsteig, Breitenfeld and Kleinschönau, other trees in the Zwettl district were also damaged: in Mitterreith as well as in Thail and Moniholz. Also in Arbesbach the point hung ‘idyllic’ on the maypole next to the church tower. District fire chief Ewald Edelmaier thanked the more than a hundred fire brigades in the Zwettl district, which in many places kept up the tradition of erecting the maypole: “But above all, I am happy that no one was injured.”
May tops fell on the balcony
The tops also tore off in the Waidhofen an der Thaya district. These probably hit the ground with full force in Gastern and Hollenbach. In Kleinzwettl in the municipality of Gastern – the place is also known for its fortified church and the Heurigen – the tip fell to the ground around lunchtime. She may have fallen onto a balcony and destroyed the makeshift wooden partition.
The treetops in Hollenbach near Waidhofen an der Thaya probably also fell. At the Groß Siegharts fire station it was still hanging on a rope and the Florianis eliminated the danger. According to unconfirmed reports, the tree in the parachuting town of Fromberg in the Waldviertel in the Gmünd district also lost its top. A total of eleven trees were destroyed.
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.
