Civil defense warning

Severe storms: trembling before the next flood

There was water everywhere, and Mautern in Upper Styria was hit particularly hard by the storms.

(Bild: BI d.V. Stefan Riemelmoser)

There is simply no end to the summer storms. On Saturday evening, many places in Styria were again flooded. Upper Styria was once again particularly affected. And thunderstorms are forecast again for Sunday afternoon.

This summer simply doesn't allow the emergency services a break from storms. The country's fire departments have to be called out on a weekly, often even daily basis. Once again, the Florianis in Upper Styria were particularly challenged on Saturday evening. Mautern in particular was hit. Once again, as it was almost exactly a month ago that a severe storm last raged here.

In Mautern, several backed-up streams had to be cleared.

(Bild: BI d.V. Stefan Riemelmoser)

Mudslides and landslides
Mayor Andreas Kühberger had to issue another civil protection warning. Dozens of cellars were flooded, mudslides and landslides blocked roads, streams and properties. "The most important task was really to clear the streams and get the water back there," explains Stefan Riemelmoser from the Leoben Area Fire Brigade Association. Fortunately, no one has been injured so far.

"Nobody can say where it will happen"
The warning was lifted early on Sunday morning. But the work of the many helpers is far from over. "The clean-up work is in full swing, six fire departments are already back in action and we will now successively alert more firefighters," Riemelmoser told the "Krone" newspaper in the morning. The fear in Mautern is that the floods will come again on Sunday. Heavy thunderstorms are forecast for the afternoon, especially in Upper Styria. "Unfortunately, nobody can say exactly where it will happen yet."

In the district of Liezen, several roads were blocked by mudslides.

(Bild: BFV Liezen)

The heavens also opened their floodgates once again in the Liezen district. Here, the emergency services were mainly occupied with clearing mudslides, several traffic routes such as the Eisenstraße (B 115) were blocked and had to be cleared of debris.