Rain and floods

Automatically saved draft

The duration of the disruptions on the U4, U6 and U3 lines cannot be predicted at the moment. In the picture: Work on the U4

(Bild: APA/WIENER LINIEN)

The all-clear has been given slightly in Vienna, but the storms are still bringing public transport and life to a standstill. The "Krone" has an overview of closed subway lines, power outages and the flood situation in the capital - you can find the Austria-wide live ticker here.

 

The good news first: by early evening, the water level of the Vienna River had dropped again and the all-clear could be given for the time being.

However, due to heavy rainfall and the associated flooding, there are still considerable restrictions in the Vienna subway network. U6, U4, U3 and U2 are partially closed. Wiener Linien does not expect regular service before Wednesday. 

Wiener Linien had already taken extensive protective measures on various subway lines in advance. The affected subway lines were protected from the ingressing water with dam beams and sandbags and subway services had to be partially suspended.

No regular service until Wednesday
The U4 can only run between Heiligenstadt and Friedensbrücke, the U6 will continue to run between Floridsdorf and Westbahnhof as well as Meidling station and Siebenhirten. The U3 is suspended between Rochusgasse and Simmering.

The U2 only runs between Seestadt and Taborstraße.

Wiener Linien currently does not expect regular service before Wednesday. The situation remains tense and a drop in the water level is not yet in sight. As soon as the water level begins to fall, work can begin on dismantling the flood protection measures, which can take up to 12 hours. If possible, Wiener Linien asks passengers to divert to other lines. 

Freeways closed
According to the ÖAMTC, the southern highway (A2) was closed from the SCS near the Vienna city limits to Traiskirchen (district of Baden) because there was water in the direction of Graz. The south-east highway (A3) in the Ebreichsdorf area (district of Baden) was also blocked due to flooding. A spokeswoman for the club also reported road damage on the Vienna outer ring highway (A21) in the Steinhäusl - Hochstraß section in the direction of the A2.

Power supply interrupted
In three Viennese districts - namely in parts of Penzing, Landstraße and Donaustadt - the power supply was interrupted on Sunday. This was announced by Wiener Netze. "We are continuing to work on rectifying the situation in order to restore the supply quickly", the energy supplier's website stated. The majority of the disruptions were resolved, but there were still isolated outages into the evening hours.

The company has been working day and night since Friday with double staffing to rectify the outages. However, the severe weather conditions are making the work more difficult. In the Wiener Netze area, in Vienna and parts of Lower Austria and Burgenland, overhead lines are repeatedly damaged by trees and transformer stations are flooded, according to the company. The average duration of power outages of 90 minutes could therefore not always be adhered to.

Just below record level
On Sunday, the Danube reached a level of 7.4 meters at the Korneuburg measuring station, which is relevant for Vienna. The day before it was 5.85 meters. From a water level of 5.20 meters, the weir fields of the intake structure at Korneuburg are overflowed, which ensures flood protection in Vienna. The Danube water then initially flows into the New Danube without any intervention. From a water level of six meters, the weir fields are slowly opened and the flood water is discharged in a controlled manner.

"Since yesterday, all three weir systems have been manned by MA 45 due to the flooding Danube. All towpaths on the Danube Island have been closed. However, the situation is under control," according to the flood information and warning for Vienna updated on Sunday. Thanks to Danube Island and the New Danube, Vienna is prepared for large volumes of water in terms of Danube flood protection. With a length of 21 kilometers and a width of around 210 meters, the Danube Island is "a huge protective structure" that flanks the New Danube as a relief channel for the Danube flow, emphasized MA 45 at the weekend: "At high water levels, the New Danube relieves the Danube. The New Danube is equipped with three weirs."

Incidentally, the current level of the Danube in Korneuburg is not far off the mark reached during the record floods of 2013. In the night of June 6, 2013, a maximum water level of 8.09 meters was recorded during a so-called hundred-year flood. This was the highest mark since the Danube flood protection system was built in 1988.