The fire brigade is under constant pressure: a heavy thunderstorm broke out on Saturday evening and hit southeastern Styria during the night. The consequences were flooded cellars and muddy streets. More than 300 firefighters were deployed, mainly in Kirchberg an der Raab and Labilltal. And the tension continues: heavy showers are expected again on Sunday.
Heavy storms raged again in Styria. On Saturday evening, hundreds of firefighters had to go to flooded streets and cellars. This time especially affected: the districts of South-East Styria and Leibnitz. Especially in the area around Kirchberg an der Raab and – a little further west – in the Labilltal, real doomsday scenarios took place.
Section commander Manfred Lebler of the Oberdorf am Hochegg volunteer fire brigade reports “huge flooding” in some parts of the community. In Radersdorf, Schönberg, Mehlteuer, Petersdorf II and St. Marein near Graz it rained – within a very short time about 70 liters fell here and there was also hail. The result: many cellars were flooded and some streets were extremely muddy. The national highways L272 and L245 had to be closed for a short time.
“A total of 35 fire brigades with 300 men were deployed in southeastern Styria alone,” said Thomas Maier, press spokesman for the regional fire brigade association. There were significantly more in Styria, so the storm also affected nearby places in the Leibnitz district. “The fire department was busy pumping, cleaning and securing work – and helping the public at this time,” Maier said.
Since the early hours of the morning, 18 fire brigades have been carrying out clean-up operations in the affected areas. “Above all, the secondary road network must be made free of mud and water,” says Maier. Only one fire brigade was deliberately released: Despite a sleepless night, the commanders of Kirchberg an der Raab held a long-planned party and invited people for a morning pint.
However, it could be the calm before the next storm as the next storm front is forecast for Sunday afternoon. “Locally heavy rainfall is expected again,” says Maier. And he says: “These types of events are becoming more common, shorter in duration and sometimes more serious.”
Source: Krone
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