Houses buried under mudslides, roads closed, basements flooded and cars washed away: the storms of the past few days have caused a state of emergency throughout Austria. Emergency services are busy cleaning up all day long. But is the next chaos approaching?
There are currently numerous shocking images circulating of floods in Austria. From west to east, hardly anyone was spared from the heavy rain. In the affected areas, the clean-up work is in full swing. After Vorarlberg, Tyrol and Lower Austria in particular were hit hard by the weather chaos of the past few days, the federal capital was also hit on Saturday evening.
Woman pushed under bus by water
People had to be rescued from their cars, streets became rivers and numerous basements are no longer accessible. One woman was even pushed under a bus by the water.
Around 550 operations were reported in Vienna on Sunday morning and cellars and garages are currently being pumped out. According to spokesman Lukas Schauer, the Vienna professional fire brigade is still in close contact with the weather services on Sunday. The situation is being monitored and the emergency services are of course ready to help again.
In Vienna-Döbling, 110 litres of rain fell per square metre – the highest summer value in the 152-year history of measurements on the Hohe Warte.
Also in Salzburg in the Kaprun region there were several mudflows on Saturday. Mayor Domenik David even described the situation as “very critical”. The fire brigade had to clear traffic routes, pump out flooded buildings and lead several streams back into the stream bed. There were several landslides on Schaufelberg and access to the reservoirs and the glacier cable car was closed.
The storm also left one person seriously injured: a mudslide buried a house in Zell am See. The resident was hit by the debris.
Civil protection warning in Mautern
A thunderstorm cell also led to heavy rainfall, flooding and a civil protection warning in Mautern, Upper Styria (Leoben district) on Saturday evening.
On Sunday, experts in geology, water protection and slope protection will inspect the damage in Mautern. The exact extent could still be determined on Sunday evening.
Cleaning work in Lower Austria continues
After Hollabrunn (Lower Austria) was declared a disaster area on Friday, heavy rain fell there again on Saturday. The clean-up has been going on since Sunday morning. In Hollabrunn, several fire brigades were still busy with cleaning work. The helpers were also deployed in the Neunkirchen district, where heavy rainfall caused flooding on Saturday. After storms, the fire brigade also went to the Amstetten district on Sunday evening to pump out cellars and remove trees from streets.
Worry about the next storm chaos
The clean-up efforts following mudslides and flash floods in St. Anton am Arlberg in Tyrol are still in full swing. Work and digging continued throughout the night. On Sunday, 350 emergency services were also called in. The country is also looking with concern at the weather forecast for the coming days…
Because on Sunday the weather map of the Austrian Severe Weather Center will shine in yellow and orange again. Thunderstorms and hail are threatening again – from Vorarlberg to western Upper Austria. There will be some precipitation and there may also be thunderstorm cells. Geosphere Austrian meteorologists assure that the least thunderstorms and rain showers are expected in the southeast of Austria.
The night often brings rain in the north, and thunderstorms in places in the east.
In the west, north and along the northern side of the Alps, clouds will dominate at the beginning of the week and it may rain occasionally, especially in the first half of the day. In the southeast, there will also be some rain and thunderstorms.
It remains transient
Tuesday will remain unstable in most of Austria. The tendency for showers will initially increase significantly in the mountains and towards evening in the eastern plains, and below them a few thunderstorms and heavy rain cells will probably form. Even in the middle of the week the day will remain unstable. In addition to longer sunny periods, occasional cloud fields and rain showers can also be expected, especially north of the main Alpine ridge. However, it is unlikely that it will cool down in the coming days.
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.
