"Be careful"

Warning: High danger in forests and on riverbanks!

Urgent warning from Harald Eitner, Christian Leitgeb, Christopher Dexler, Anton Lang and Günter Hohenberger (from left)

(Bild: Land Steiermark/Binder)

The fatal tragedy involving a five-year-old boy in St. Marein near Graz is a tragic reminder of how dangerous forests and riverbanks can be after the heavy rainfall. The urgent appeal from the provincial leadership: "Be extremely careful!"

Governor Christopher Drexler (ÖVP), his deputy Anton Lang (SPÖ) and representatives of various state authorities actually wanted to take stock of the storm disaster in Graz-Umgebung and Hartberg-Fürstenfeld on Thursday. However, the meeting was overshadowed by the death of a five-year-old who was buried in a landslide in the forest and died.

"We ask all Styrians to be extremely careful in the near future," emphasizes Drexler. The ground is still completely soaked after the record-breaking rainfall. The head of civil protection, Harald Eitner, warned in particular against spending time in the forest ("trees can topple over easily at low wind speeds") and on the banks of watercourses ("high risk of landslides").

One of many landslides - here in St. Lorenzen am Wechsel

(Bild: BFVHB/Novacek)

Two supercells in Styria
Eitner demonstrated what happened last Saturday evening: Two separately acting supercells were on the move in Styria. The first cell moved south of the Gleinalm to Weiz and further into south-eastern Styria - Deutschfeistritz and St. Marein were among those affected. The second cell caused devastation throughout the Hartberg-Fürstenfeld district and then moved on into Burgenland.

Eitner: "There was rainfall of more than 100 millimetres per square meter." However, after one of the wettest May months in history, the soil was already pre-stressed and could not absorb the water. "We have excellent protective water management in Styria, but here we are reaching the limits of what is possible," says Eitner.

Christoph Schlacher from the provincial water department

(Bild: Traby Jakob/Jakob Traby)

A flood like every 300 years
This is confirmed by Christoph Schlacher from the provincial water management department. In Eastern Styria, for example, 28 of 45 retention basins were "fully dammed", as the jargon goes. Across Styria, the water had to be drained in a controlled manner in two cases: at the Schöcklbach in Weinitzen and at the Lebingbach in Vorau. Incidentally, the water level at Übelbach exceeded the mark of a flood that only occurs every 300 years! The Voraubach and Rohrbach reached the 100-year mark.

More storm operations than in the previous year
Deputy Provincial Fire Director Christian Leitgeb took stock for the fire departments: 421 fire departments with almost 8000 members have been involved so far, there have been more than 1700 storm operations - in comparison: in the entire previous year, when there were also floods in southern Styria, there were 1200. More than 70 people were rescued. Leitgeb: "The investments made in recent years were important so that we could help efficiently." According to Drexler, a new package is being worked on for the fire departments.

We see a strong sign of cohesion at a time when so much is being written about division and rifts.

Landeshauptmann Christopher Drexler (ÖVP)

Five million euros in emergency aid from state funds was already approved by the state government on Thursday. According to Finance Minister Anton Lang (SPÖ), this is to be paid out "unbureaucratically and quickly" as payments on account to those affected - similar to the flood disaster in August last year.

45 households cut off
The emergency services are still working at full capacity. According to Günter Hohenberger, head of the provincial warning center, there are 81 active evacuations (including 40 residents of the Neudau nursing home), 45 households - especially remote farmsteads - are cut off from the outside world. 22 roads are closed and some may remain so until the end of the year. So far, 116 landslides have been reported - "and damage reports are still coming in".