5000 hectares area

Hail and heavy rain: Millions in damage for farmers

Storms on Friday afternoon in Styria and Lower Austria caused millions in damage to agriculture. Around 5000 hectares of agricultural crops were affected by heavy rainfall and hail, the Austrian Hail Insurance announced on Friday evening.

According to initial surveys by the hail insurance experts, the predicted heavy thunderstorms caused total agricultural damage of 2.7 million euros.

The districts of Leibnitz and Deutschlandsberg in Styria and the district of Waidhofen an der Thaya in Lower Austria were affected.

In Styria, 3500 hectares of agricultural land were affected by the storms, with damage amounting to 1.9 million euros. In Lower Austria, 1500 hectares were affected, with the insurance company estimating the amount of damage at 800,000 euros.

In Styria, there was even a fatality: an excavator operator was trying to excavate a flooding stream in the district of Leoben when the machine tipped over and the 36-year-old died. It was only after another excavator was used to lift the overturned machine that the 36-year-old could be rescued after around 20 minutes.

Forecasts unfavorable
"The meteorologists' forecasts for the weekend continue to indicate a high potential for severe weather," warned the spokesperson for the Austrian hail insurance company in a press release in the evening.