No more heavy rain

Night passed calmly after storms in Pinzgau

Bedload barriers now have to be dredged again.(Bild: EXPA Pictures. Alle Rechte vorbehalten. // EXPA Pictures. All rigths reserved.)

In the Pinzgau communities severely affected by storms, emergency services and residents are keeping a close eye on the weather. For the time being, however, the all-clear has been given: the night was calm. The clean-up work is still ongoing: Debris barriers have to be dredged.

"At the moment, we only have light rain on land," says Pinzgau disaster officer Manfred Höger happily on Monday morning. The water is standing on the ground: no more rain can seep away. The night brought no more bad news for the Kaprun, Bruck and Zell am See areas. 

House in Bruck secured
The emergency services were still in demand on Sunday evening in Bruck: a house had to be secured because a stream overflowed its banks and was carrying material across a meadow towards the building. 

There were large amounts of rain in Flachgau on Monday morning: however, there was no major damage for the time being. The fire department reported operations in Nußdorf and Anthering as well as in Hallein. 

Clean-up work is still ongoing
Debris barriers have prevented worse at various danger spots from Zell am See to Großarl. Dredging work is in full swing: "We can dredge out thousands of cubic meters of debris in just a few hours. This system also proved its worth this weekend," emphasizes Pinzgau district governor Bernhard Gratz and adds: "All available forces are working intensively to clear the barriers - sometimes well into the night." In Aufhausen (Piesendorf), there is a storage area for the excavated material right next to the main road. This was also used at the weekend. Gratz: "The short distances in the region are very valuable in an emergency."

In Grossarl, the barriers for three torrents and the material from the Grossarler Ache are currently being cleared and deposited. After heavy rainfall, around 1000 cubic meters per day are removed from the barriers. "This allows us to work quickly, saves time and money and relieves the burden on the population," emphasizes Pongau disaster prevention officer Michael Rachensperger.