Flood emergency: Lower Austria braces for historic deluge
On Saturday, many municipalities in Lower Austria declared a state of emergency. Services are evacuating residents in many places. In Tyrol, an avalanche swept a hiker off a trail.
Due to the intense rainfall and snow, the situation is becoming increasingly serious. In Lower Austria on Saturday, a state of emergency was declared in 23 municipalities.
As Deputy Minister of the Environment Stephan Pernkopf stated, "we must prepare for a long struggle with the elements." - The hydrological forecasts are increasingly complex and severe - Pernkopf said during a meeting with journalists.
The threat of "centennial flood"
He also added that it seems likely that in the Waldviertel region, one should expect the so-called centennial flood. He assured that local authorities are preparing possible evacuations and conducting an information campaign. The first evacuations began on Friday evening, although they concerned allotment gardens and summer houses.
Emergency services in Lower Saxony remain on standby. According to the latest forecasts, the Ottenstein reservoir may overflow on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Danube level could be the highest in thirty years.
"Hours of truth"
- The upcoming hours will be the hours of truth for flood protection and will be an enormous endurance test for our emergency services and citizens - said Lower Austria Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner. She also pointed out that a particularly difficult situation is expected in Waldviertel.
On Saturday morning an avalanche descended in the village of Hinterriss (Schwaz district) in the Karwendel mountains. According to witnesses, one person was swept away. As confirmed by the emergency services, the missing hiker was part of a 30-person group: both Austrian and German emergency services are searching for him.
From Friday evening to Saturday morning, the fire department intervened more than 160 times throughout Austria - mainly to remove fallen trees and pump water from flooded basements. Several national roads remain closed due to flooding or landslides, and some railway lines are also not operational.
According to meteorological services, since Thursday, between 50 and 150 millimetres of rain has already fallen in various regions of Austria. Within the next 48 hours, another 230 millimetres of rainfall is expected in total.
