Flash floods caused by heavy rain caused chaos in several parts of Austria on Saturday. Especially in Styria, the streams overflowed their banks and caused heavy rain and mud flows. The next storm cells have already been announced.
From noon thunderstorms will also form again in Styria; Burgenland and parts of Salzburg and Carinthia are also affected. Severe thunderstorms with heavy rain, hail and showers are also possible. Geosphere Austria announced that the risk of thunderstorms will continue into the evening hours, especially in Styria. The fire brigade was already in continuous action here on Sunday evening.
A mudslide blocked the Pyhrnautobahn (A9) near Bösebach on Saturday evening. According to Asfinag, the southbound lane, like the northbound lane, was closed for safety reasons.
Place completely under water
Deutschfeistritz was hit particularly hard, as the “Steirerkrone” reports. Within minutes, the water masses caused the heavily swollen Bösebach to overflow the narrow channelized streambed in Deutschfeistritz and flood the city center. Cars were also swept away and became wedged between houses. According to the fire brigade, a number of people had to be rescued.
Photos from Deutschfeistritz:
In Graz, levels are expected to rise even further, the Styrian capital said. The Mur area is closed. There were warnings about lightning and possible temporary power outages. Windows, doors and gates must be closed; Movable outdoor objects, such as garden furniture or tents, must be secured.
Warning for the population
The Styrian State Warning Center advised the population to be extremely cautious on Sunday evening, according to Styria Communications. In areas affected by large amounts of rain, the banks of bodies of water should be avoided, as well as basements of houses. Overall, extreme caution should be exercised even as storms and precipitation subside.
There were also flash floods in southern Burgenland:
In Burgenland, a thunder cell kept the helpers busy from about 3:30 PM on Saturday. The main areas of operation were flooded basements and streets. By early evening, the helpers had already been deployed around 100 times across the state. Thunderstorms are possible again on Sunday afternoon.
Warning for civil defense in Oberwart
At 4:14 a.m. on Sunday evening, a civil protection warning was issued for the city of Oberwart due to tense weather conditions with heavy rain and flooding, the state of Burgenland announced on Sunday evening. Shortly before midnight, a disaster was declared in the entire Oberwart district. The population is asked not to leave their homes and to avoid lower areas such as basements and underground parking garages.
Also thunderstorms in Tyrol
Saturday evening’s thunderstorms also caused several mudslides in large parts of Tyrol, forcing emergency services to operate for hours. A car was also hit by the mud mass in Reith im Alpbachtal. The hail also caused anxious minutes, which means that parts of Tyrol will also be busy on Sunday.
Source: Krone
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