After Sunday’s terrible storm with hail the size of a tennis ball that cut through roof tiles like a knife through butter, four small towns in the Waldviertel have been declared disaster areas. 210 roofs – mainly of residential buildings – were literally shot through. One person is also said to have been injured.
Shocked, but immediately calmed down again – this is how Waldkirchen Mayor Reinhard Ringl describes the strong attitude of the citizens after the storm disaster on Sunday afternoon.
Seven centimeter large hailstones hit there “like small grenades” and shot holes in 80 percent of all roofs in the Waldviertel villages of Rappolz, Waldkirchen, Gilgenberg and Lexnitz. In Rappolz not a single roof would have remained intact.
On Sunday afternoon, 250 Florianis rushed to the rescue
The sad results that immediately brought the fire brigades of the Waidhofen an der Thaya district into action in a show of force: 210 roofs were punctured, of which 150 were residential buildings. Vehicles, facades, farms and outbuildings and fields were also affected – the hail insurance assumes damage to sites amounting to 1.6 million euros.
Just a few hours after Sunday’s hailstorm, which ‘went through the roof like butter’, 250 firefighters, company employees and private individuals repaired the roofs. District fire chief Manfred Damberger emphasized the importance of acting quickly, because shortly afterwards heavy rain fell again, hitting unprotected buildings en masse.
Person was hit by a large “ice ball”.
65,000 m² of tarpaulins are available at the district disaster camp and the fire brigade center in Tulln. State Vice President Stephan Pernkopf, like local boss Ringl, expressed his deepest gratitude to the emergency services: “The state is ready with money from the disaster fund,” Pernkopf announced.
Special equipment, vehicles and materials also came to help from other parts of the country, state fire chief Dietmar Fahrafellner said. On Monday, 165 Florianis took action again and more than 125 objects were secured.
By the way: investigation by “Krone” on site showed that one person was also injured. A hailstone hit her as she tried to complete another goal. After the wound is treated, the person will likely feel better again.
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.
