Besides the Graz area, the Hartberg-Fürstenfeld district is the second storm hotspot in Styria: there were floods, torn bridges, 7,000 drowned turkeys – and anger at brutal spectators.
You can see the exhaustion of the emergency teams: many of them have worked tirelessly since 7:55 PM on Saturday. So much had happened, so much to do, that it was a wonder anyone could keep up. “Many streets are blocked, muddy or no longer exist at all,” said fire chief Andreas Fuchs, taking stock of the dramatic situation in the Hartberg-Fürstenfeld district.
The hotspots were: Lungitz, Lafnitz and Pinkatal, Neudau, Schäffern, Burgau and Seibersdorf were particularly affected. In Neudau, the nursing home with 40 residents had to be evacuated and the seniors were temporarily taken to hospitals. The outdoor swimming pool there was also completely under water.
7,000 turkeys drowned
Fortunately, the 52 Ukrainian orphans who sought refuge in the region were unharmed. “We only had a short power outage,” said relieved director Pascale Vayer. The Hackl family also had to move to Burgau at night to take about 40 piglets from the meadows to dry land. But 7,000 turkeys from two farms in eastern Styria died miserably; they drowned in the stable, which was one meter under water.
Several bridges were torn away, cellars were flooded and there was no electricity in Schäffern for a while. Many households are still not reachable. The retention basin in Bad Waltersdorf had a technical problem, causing 1000 cubic meters of water to flow away! The tidal wave rolled towards Bad Blumau, increasing the large amount of water from above.
The community of Schäffern is affected by a widespread power outage. Parts of the community are currently unavailable. The Schäffern area was only accessible via the A2 on Sunday afternoon.
Several sewage treatment plants (for example in St. Johann in der Haide and Sebersdorf) were shut down and could not continue their activities, and the fire brigade’s arsenal was also flooded despite all measures taken.
“Something like that is unheard of”
As many as 1,200 firefighters from 80 fire brigades work under high pressure. “Our deepest thanks go to you!” emphasized State Governor Christopher Drexler together with Deputy Anton Lang, who met with District Governor Kerstin Raith-Schweighofer to discuss the situation.
Worrying: Many spectators actually hindered the work of the emergency services. Christopher Drexler: “Something like that is unheard of!”
The damage cannot yet be predicted; it will reach gigantic dimensions! As a precaution, we have created an account for those affected. “The Crown helps – Styria”, AT152081500044569523, password “Unwetter2024”
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.
