"Stay indoors"

Storm causes traffic chaos and power outages

Fallen trees caused chaos in Austria on Monday.

(Bild: APA/THOMAS ZEILER)

Gale-force winds have been causing unrest in Austria since the weekend. On Monday morning, the situation worsened in many parts of the country: in Carinthia, Styria and Salzburg, fallen trees caused traffic disruptions. The Carinthian state emergency services even called on people in the districts of Klagenfurt-Land and Völkermarkt to stay indoors due to the severe storm.

According to the disaster control, people should also refrain from making non-urgent journeys. On Monday afternoon, the Karawanken mountains in Carinthia were particularly affected by the strong winds, while in Styria the northern regions were affected. Damage to buildings and roof structures was already making the rounds on social networks by midday.

Thousands of Styrians without electricity
In Styria, around 170 transformer stations were out of service due to damage to power lines. Around 4000 households were affected. Several ÖBB train lines in Upper Styria were at least temporarily out of service due to fallen trees. Rail replacement services were set up.

In Salzburg, a tree that had been blown over by the strong wind fell onto the Loferer Straße (B178) near Unken (Pinzgau) on Monday morning and hit a moving car. The 65-year-old driver and her 69-year-old co-driver were injured but were able to get out of the badly deformed car themselves, according to the provincial police headquarters. They were taken to hospital.

During the clearing work, stones came loose above the road. Although the falling debris was caught by the slope safety net, the B178 was completely closed for around two hours due to the danger.