The devastating storm had Lower Austria under control for four days, but is not letting us go for the time being. Even if the water level drops in many places, the risk of landslides and mudflows is high. The fire brigade, rescue brigade, police and armed forces are also present on Tuesday with 33,000 emergency workers.
“Thank God the rain is stopping,” said a visibly relieved Johanna Mikl-Leitner on Tuesday morning after the meeting of the crisis team in the Tulln security center. But: “The danger has not yet been averted,” said the state governor. The situation is still tense, especially in the districts of Tulln, St. Pölten and Melk. Hundreds of people had to be evacuated from a total of seven towns in Tullnerfeld during the night.
The head of state focused primarily on human suffering: “Many Lower Austrians are now confronted with the ruins of their existence.” She promises them aid from the disaster fund as soon as possible to at least alleviate the financial pressure. A corresponding decision by the state government is expected to be taken today in St. Pölten. The damage assessment teams have already been formed and will leave as soon as the current dangerous situation allows it.
Major damage, roads closed
Because the extent of the damage cannot yet be predicted. For Vice Governor Stephan Pernkopf, the priority is to remove two major sections: on the one hand, there are the roadblocks, which currently affect 271 connections. The western section of the federal railways is also still passable. On the other hand, it is important to repair the damage to the flood barrier and the partly leaking and partly broken dams as quickly as possible. “When the next rainfall comes in a few days or weeks, the water must be able to drain away again,” warns Pernkopf, adding that even smaller amounts of rain can lead to flooding.
Figures that concern you
Across the country, 11 dams burst on Monday alone, bringing the total here to 21. As of Tuesday morning, 26 communities were cut off from the outside world, 22 towns were without water, 14 without a canal. And now 2,400 households are without electricity. 2,240 people from 1,120 households had to be evacuated, with 49 affected people even having to be evacuated by helicopter.
765 people were temporarily transferred to emergency shelters or other alternative housing. Another figure is impressive: 626,000 calls were made on government radio in one day to coordinate rescue measures. No wonder that this system also failed – at least in the short term.
Help from Vienna to Vorarlberg
The wave of willingness to help and solidarity is great, emphasized Dietmar Fahrafellner, commander of the state fire brigade: Emergency services from other states are now on duty. On Tuesday, 15 trains with a total of 1,300 firefighters were sent to relieve the burden on the fire brigade; Lower Austrian comrades. “It has everything: we use pumps from the Vienna fire brigade and equipment from Vorarlberg,” says Fahrafellner.
To secure the broken dams along the Perschling near Rust in Tullnerfeld, soldiers of the Federal Army with Blackhawk helicopters and all-terrain armored vehicles are also providing assistance. The army is on site in 39 specific operations in 13 districts. The number of sandbags has been increased by 640,000, of which 50,000 are said to have been filled overnight.
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.
