Land in Deutschfeistritz north of Graz! The city center was completely flooded on Saturday evening and the fire brigade had to rescue 50 people from life-threatening situations. A nursing home in Neudau, in eastern Styria, was evacuated. And today there is another storm threatening.
Deutschfeistritz’s images and videos spread within minutes on Saturday evening: the Bösebach overflowed its banks and became a raging river, the city center was flooded, cars were pushed against house walls. Some people were trapped in their vehicles and were rescued by brave residents.
In the early morning hours, the volunteer fire brigade made a statement in a post: 300 people from 25 fire brigades were present, 50 people had to be rescued from life-threatening situations. “We’ve reached the limit!”
The good news of the catastrophe: According to the current state of affairs, there are only a few minor injuries, according to Harald Eitner, head of disaster response in Styria. However, the material damage will be enormous and its extent will probably not be estimated until later today.
Overall, the water level is decreasing throughout Styria. But the anxious look at the sky remains: from today afternoon another thunderstorm may erupt. “There are a lot of kinks. If these are not resolved by the afternoon hours, things could become critical,” Eitner told “Krone.”
The civil protection alert has been lifted
But it was not only in Deutschfeistritz that the fire brigades were extremely challenged. A civil protection alert was issued in Eggersdorf, Weinitzen and parts of Graz – this has now been lifted. However, the city of Graz urgently warns: “Please avoid open water, cellars, underground parking garages and underpasses at this time.”
Nursing home evacuated
The Hartberg-Fürstenfeld district and especially the Laßnitz basin are developing as the second hotspot next to the region north of Graz, says Eitner. In Neudau, a nursing home with 40 residents had to be evacuated. Also in Deutschfeistritz, 18 people cannot yet return to their homes.
According to the state fire association, there were 358 storm operations in 24 hours and 27 people were rescued! In addition to the Graz region and the Hartberg-Fürstenfeld districts, Weiz and the Feldbach region were also severely affected. The districts of Murtal and Leibnitz were also not spared.
Highway to Mure closed
The Pyhrnautobahn A9 near Bösebach is also still closed. Here a 1.5 meter high mud and rubble avalanche fell. Asfinag worked overnight with excavators to remove it. Only then will it become clear how long the route will remain closed.
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.
