Storm: Fire departments from Tyrol to Lower Austria required

In Lower Austria The helpers have not been able to rest since Thursday evening. Since midnight on Saturday alone, 205 uprooted and fallen trees have been removed from roads, telephone and power lines. A total of 120 fire departments were on duty on Saturday afternoon. Due to wet and slippery roads, around 70 traffic accidents were recorded within twelve hours – all of which, according to previous information, did not result in any serious injuries.

On Saturday morning, the helpers were increasingly confronted with flooding, mudslides and flooding away from the storm. “A number of streams have already reached their flood limits, especially in the districts of Krems, Melk, Neunkirchen, St. Pölten and Wiener Neustadt. In addition, several cellars and road underpasses are under water,” said Franz Resperger from the Lower Austrian Fire Department Command.

In general, the situation in the state remained tense. “The all-clear cannot be given today,” emphasized the fire brigade spokesman. There was nervousness along the Danube, where the flood alarm limit was exceeded in Klosterneuburg (Tulln district) and in the cadastral community of Kritzendorf. In the Strombad Kritzendorf, which is populated all year round, the fire department decides on Saturday afternoon whether to set up mobile flood protection. “Although no threatening flooding is expected, there is still a risk that the Danube will continue to rise as the snow melts in the next few days,” said Resperger. The danger of avalanches also remained an issue. In the Türnitz and Ybbstal Alps, in the Gippel-Göller area and in the Rax-Schneeberg group, the risk above the tree line was classified as high (level 4 out of 5).

The hurricane gusts reached around 100 km/h in the populated area, in Abtenau (Tennengau) 102 km/h were measured, and at Salzburg Airport it was 97, as a meteorology report from Geosphere Austria reported.

• Also read: The next storm front hit Upper Austria: 2,500 firefighters were deployed

Mudflows in Salzburg

In Salzburg The north of the country was most affected, i.e. the state capital (with 18 missions), Flachgau, where 450 helpers were called to over 70 missions, and Tennengau, where 315 firefighters were deployed to deal with 80 different storm damages. The majority of the operations involved fallen trees, and vehicles also had to be rescued several times and objects had to be pumped out in a few cases. Mudflows also occurred in Bischofshofen and St. Johann im Pongau. There were power outages, particularly in Flachgau and Tennengau, and up to 5,000 households were affected during the night. On Saturday morning there were still around 3,000 households in Großgmain (Flachgau), Adnet, St. Koloman, Hallein, Kuchl, Golling (all Tennengau) and in parts of Lofer im Pinzgau, Salzburg AG said. How long the work to restore supply will take cannot yet be estimated.

Tyrolean places cut off

Some small ones Tyrolean Villages could not be reached on Saturday morning, such as the winter sports resort of Obergurgl in the upper Ötztal as well as Kaisers, Bschlabs or Gramais (Reutte district). In the Alpbachtal (Kufstein district), a mudflow hit a car, causing the driver to be slightly injured. Around 60 missions were completed during the night, according to the control center.

The storm damage occurred “across the country” and resulted in “uprooted trees and blocked roads,” according to information from the Tyrolean operations center. On Friday evening, the Alpbacher Landesstraße (L5) in Reith was relocated over a length of 15 meters. A car was pushed off the road by the mudflow and pressed against a tree. The 25-year-old Hungarian driver was slightly injured, his 21-year-old passenger was uninjured. In Mötz (Imst district), a residential building had to be evacuated after a mudslide escaped onto the terrace of a residential building. In Wenns, too, a road was washed out after a landslide. Four residential buildings in Mils near Imst were evacuated on Saturday night due to a rockfall. A boulder measuring four by four meters crashed through a shed and knocked down a power pole. Nobody was injured.

Due to the weather situation, some higher roads were closed due to the risk of avalanches. According to the traffic police, this also applied to the Obergurgl winter sports resort in the Ötztal. The closure had been in place since late Friday afternoon. On the border with Switzerland near Pfuns, the B184 was also closed due to an avalanche, and the Pitztal was also still difficult to reach after a mudslide between Jerzens and Arzl. A diversion has been set up. In the Reutte district, the L267 between Gramais and Häselgehr and the L268 between Kaisers and Steeg were closed due to the risk of avalanches. The Bschlaber state road was also not passable in sections.

However, there were no disruptions in train traffic on Saturday morning. According to ÖBB route information, there was no storm damage in Tyrol.

Fresh snow and strong wind

In Carinthia After the snowfall, chains were required for a while on higher mountain roads, for example on the Katschbergstraße (B99) and the pass road (B95) over the Turracher Höhe between Carinthia and Styria.

In the Upper Styria and in northern Eastern Styria, the fire brigades were called upon on Saturday night due to the fresh snow and the sometimes strong wind. Vehicles had to be rescued and fallen trees had to be removed, especially in the areas of Bruck, Hartberg, Liezen, Mürzzuschlag and Weiz. The situation in Burgenland remained relatively calm for the time being. Thirty fire brigade operations were counted on Saturday night. According to the State Safety Center, the lion’s share involved traffic accidents.

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