Climate extremes divide the country. While there is “land below” in the south – a Carinthian (82) reportedly died in a mudslide – the east and north are battling heat and drought. There is an acute forest fire alarm.
Heavy rain, not seen since 1946, created a doomsday scenario in the area and on the Ossiacher See on Wednesday night. Small streams swelled into a tsunami, knocking down trees, boulders and even entire hills. In the communities of Arriach and Treffen, the civil defense raised the alarm.
“Even entire power plant torn away”
“The water has destroyed everything. Bridges and roads were washed away. Several cities are no longer accessible. Yes, an entire power station has even been snatched,” a firefighter reported. Water and electricity supplies have been cut in large parts of the disaster area. In some houses, the mudslides reached to the first floor. Residents fled to the roof, some had to be flown out by helicopters. Animals locked in stables died in agony in the bodies of water.
The storm also claimed human life. A retiree (82) had been swept away by a mudslide during meetings. His body was found hours later.
Many are left with nothing. Victims lay crying in each other’s arms. The main road through the Geländetal no longer exists. It takes months to restore it. “A disaster for hundreds of commuters,” said Mayor Klaus Glanznig.
Sirens in Salzburg, a hundred missions in Upper Austria
The alarm was also raised on the Tamsweg in Salzburg on Wednesday morning. The Leißnitzbach flooded and threatened parts of the lower market area. In Upper Austria, the storms also keep the fire service busy for days. There were more than 100 operations on Tuesday evening due to flooding and hail in several districts.
Green strongholds defy blazing threat
In view of the extreme weather, forest rangers and forest experts are appealing against careless endangerment of the natural protection shields, the object protection forests along transit routes, railway lines or around farms. The main task of keeping the green stronghold climate-friendly and thus protecting villages and valleys from damage is borne by the federal forests with their thoroughly ecologically acting board member Rudi Freidhager. In the whole of Austria, about 511,000 hectares are protected, of which about a third is purely protective forest. Tyrol has the highest share with 42,000 hectares.
“Life in the Alps would not be possible without robust forests. Because they slow down the intensity of crushed stone and debris,” says Christian Lackner of the Federal Research Center for Forests. However, healthy and, so to speak, lush mixed forests are better at braving outbreaks of fire than logs eaten dry by beetles. temperatures in the Sahara warn Felix Montecuccoli, president of Land-und-Forstbetriebe, of an increased risk of fire.
His call: no smoking in the woods! Even a single discarded cigarette can cause disaster. And leftover glass bottles pose a risk from reflection or concentration of sunlight, just like cars parked in dry grass.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
