Floods in Upper Austria

Roadblock ignored: Driver got stuck

Roads had to be partially closed in Upper Austria, one driver simply ignored this.

(Bild: Matthias Lauber/laumat.at)

Even though the rain had subsided in Upper Austria on Sunday night, the fire departments were called out to numerous storm operations. The experts hope that the break in the rain will ease the situation, but the all-clear cannot yet be given for the flood situation. A driver caused trouble in Königswiesen.

"The situation has eased, but the all-clear has not yet been given," is how the information from the hydrographic service regarding the larger bodies of water in Upper Austria can be summarized on Sunday morning. "The Danube in Mauthausen has exceeded alert level 1 at 6.80 meters. But it has now reached its peak. In Grein, the crest is expected to be reached around midnight on Monday night," explains Thomas Peneder from the state's hydrographic service. Across the country, several smaller bodies of water are experiencing water levels in the region of a 30-year event.

Local flooding possible everywhere
The experts are in constant contact with meteorologists from GeoSphere Austria, who are forecasting 10 to 20 liters of rain per square meter for Upper Austria today, Sunday. "That is reassuring. The rainfall forecast for today is not expected to have a significant impact on large bodies of water. Small and medium-sized bodies of water, however, could see slight rises again, with localized flooding possible throughout the province," according to the information.

More rain again from Monday
What worries the hydrologists more, however, is the forecast from Monday afternoon. "That's when it's supposed to start raining more heavily again and you also have to keep a close eye on the effects of the rising snow line," says Peneder. The situation was particularly tense on Sunday morning in the district of Perg in the east of the province. In Perg, the Naarn flooded several areas in the municipal area, and numerous sandbags were used to protect residential properties and parts of the town center.

Sandbag barriers were erected in the municipality of Naarn to prevent the Naarn from overflowing and to protect residential properties from the masses of water. In parallel to the protection measures, several overflowing cellars had to be pumped out by the fire departments.

Further protective elements installed
In the Sunday morning hours, further mobile elements of the Machland dam were installed in Grein and Saxen by members of the fire department. In Mauthausen, Langenstein and Luftenberg, the mobile dam was erected on Saturday and the B3 feeder road was closed. Further road closures were also the result, but not everyone complied.

The water masses of the individual rivers from the hinterland, which were difficult to predict, were particularly challenging for the emergency services in the district of Perg. The organization and coordination of the operations as well as the procurement and logistics of sand and sandbags in the evening and night hours were the central tasks of the integrated task force at the Perg district authority.

Bezirks-Feuerwehrkommandant Eduard Paireder

Driving around a scissor gate
A 31-year-old man from St. Georgen am Walde was driving his car on the B119a towards Königswiesen at around 5.30 p.m. on Saturday to go shopping. Due to the heavy rainfall, however, the last section of the B119a was flooded by the Naarn overflowing its banks. The road was therefore closed in both directions by means of a scissor grid and a no-driving sign. Nevertheless, the man drove around the scissor grid and steered the car through the flooded carriageway.

Driving without a license
Shortly before the end of the flooded area, the car came to a standstill. The police were informed by the fire department. The police discovered that the 31-year-old had started the car without the consent and in the absence of the license holder. He also does not have a driver's license. He will be reported to the Linz public prosecutor's office and the Freistadt district authority.

Western route closed
The enormous rainfall and the dramatic situation in Lower Austria have also had an impact on train services: due to flooding, train services have been suspended on the western line between Amstetten and St. Valentin (Lower Austria) since 1.15 a.m. on Sunday. According to ÖBB, there is a temporary rail replacement service on this section. ÖBB urgently requests that people refrain from non-essential travel. The travel warning will be extended until Monday evening.