"Still traumatized"

“Krone” local inspection: memories of severe weather

Remains of walls that were swept away by the masses of water are a reminder of the floods.(Bild: zvg)

The Lavanttal is still recovering from last summer's floods. A local inspection shows that the traces of the disaster are still omnipresent.

Where just eight months ago there was a complete state of emergency, traces of the severe storms last August can still be seen today. The municipality of St. Paul im Lavanttal was hit hard back then - roads and bridges were washed away, entire settlements were under water: "The total cost of the storm damage amounts to around 1,380,000 euros," says head of the building authority Franz Schober, showing the extent of the devastation.

In some places, the slopes are still moving and further work is to be expected!

Stefan Salzmann, Bürgermeister St. Paul

A mobile flood barrier next to the Lavant and deep cracks in the slopes and roads are still reminders of the flood. It will probably never be the same as it was before. "Parts of the 500-year-old wall around St. Paul Abbey were washed away," as fire department commander Siegfried Krobath explains during the "Krone" site inspection. Almost all of the trees on the banks of the Granitzbach stream, which flows into the Lavant, have been felled: "This means that there will be no more blockages in future during storms."

The mobile flood protection system has been in place on the banks of the Gradnitzbach for eight months.(Bild: Jennifer Kapellari)

The basin can hold back over one million cubic meters of water.(Bild: zvg)

Private driveways have still not been fully repaired.(Bild: zvg)

"Many of us are still traumatized"
Those days are not forgotten: "Many of us are still traumatized," says Mrs L., whose house had to be evacuated due to the masses of water.

The Florianis, who were constantly on duty at the time, are already preparing for the future: "Concepts are being developed. Major upgrades and investments are being made," says District Fire Brigade Chief Wolfgang Weißhaupt. After all, the storms destroyed fire department equipment worth 54,000 euros in the districts of Völkermarkt and Wolfsberg alone.