"Flood took everything from me"

After the storms: “I’m left with nothing”

The water in Martin G.'s apartment was a meter high - the muddy "sludge" completely destroyed the furniture.

(Bild: zVg)

Almost eleven weeks after the flood disaster, many of those affected still don't know how they will be able to return to their normal lives and cope financially with the damage.

Once again last weekend, we were all drastically reminded of how the weather can go crazy. In a flash, the roads in parts of Austria turned into rivers.

In front of the "Krone" building in Vienna-Döbling, as reported, colleague Ed Ricker showed courage and quickly gave first aid to a man who was stuck in his flooded car under a bridge.

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Flood victims have been living in hotel rooms for weeks
The escalating weather conditions bring back terrible memories of June 9. A flood inundated large areas of southern Burgenland. Bridges were swept away, cars destroyed, cellars and houses flooded. 2000 cases of damage are documented. The state is currently paying out. But not all flood victims meet the criteria. Tenants in a block of flats in Unterschützen are completely astonished by this.

Martin G. at the end 
"I'm left with absolutely nothing. The floods have taken everything from me," complains Martin G. He only has a small pension, says the 64-year-old. Eight months ago, he had put the few financial reserves he had into his apartment. Then the flood came - and took everything with it. "The water poured into the rooms on the ground floor with such force that it splashed up to the ceiling," explains G.

He and most of the other residents had just enough time to park their cars safely on a hill. "Unfortunately, one neighbor had to watch as his second car was simply washed away. It got stuck 400 meters further down," said the witnesses. The residents were picked up at home by the fire department in barges. Martin G. has since been staying in a hotel as alternative accommodation.

"Not worthy of support"
 "I urgently need money. As soon as I can get back into the apartment, I have to buy everything," he says. He did not fit the bill of "53 square meters of living space x water level". "I'm not eligible, they said." In a case like this, the state refers to applying for financial aid as a hardship case. G is hoping for this. He is waiting for the rejection notice so that he can submit a new application.