Shock in the Pielach Valley

“A flood the likes of which no one has ever seen”

After the flood comes the clean-up: in Markersdorf-Haindorf, too, the full extent of the damage is only gradually becoming visible.

(Bild: Antal Imre/Imre Antal)

There is talk of a millennium flood in large parts of the Pielach Valley. In the municipality of Markersdorf-Haindorf alone, 100 people were evacuated - mostly by air. The true extent of the damage cannot even be estimated yet. 

"Even the oldest of our residents can't remember such a storm," says Fritz Ofenauer, mayor of Markersdorf-Haindorf in the picturesque Pielach Valley. 500 of the approximately 850 houses in the village were affected by the flood. Almost 100 people had to be evacuated - initially by the fire department with a barge and the water rescue service, but later only by the army from the air. "They already had the water on the ground floor and it was still rising. And that was despite the fact that many had already built higher anyway," says Ofenauer.

Alternative accommodation without electricity
According to the mayor, many stayed with friends or relatives, but there was also shelter in the fire station. And in some cases, the municipal office could also be used as temporary accommodation. "Unfortunately, the water got into the cellar there too and caused a power cut until Tuesday morning," says Ofenauer.

The mega-flood also had some curious effects: this homeowner's entire pumpkin harvest was almost washed into his garden.

(Bild: Antal Imre/Imre Antal)

For the time being, flood protection in Markersdorf-Haindorf only exists on paper. "It's about to be submitted," says Ofenauer. Postscript: "But that would probably not have been enough for this millennium flood."

The picture is similar at other locations in the Pielach Valley. Communities such as Kirchberg and Rabenstein were cut off from the outside world, and in Ober-Grafendorf the entire cemetery was even flooded for the first time. "The Pielach has never been this high," they say. Numerous mudslides caused further damage.

The situation is dramatic. As soon as the water recedes, the groundwater pushes up. This delays the clean-up work. Even our over-90s say that we've never had a storm like this before.

Bürgermeister Fritz Ofenauer

Further evacuations after landslide
Unfortunately, the Pielach Valley is not the only region affected in the St. Pölten district. The situation is no better in the Böheimkirchen area. 80 percent of the inhabitants in the community of 5200 people are affected by the floods. The last time a flood caused flooded cellars here was in 1997. Until Tuesday morning, many households had no electricity or drinking water. "The sewer system is still causing us problems at the moment," says Mayor Franz Haunold. In the district of Weisching, another six houses had to be evacuated on Tuesday due to a landslide. 

Neulengbach is also considered a hotspot. 100 people had to leave their homes there. Alternative accommodation was set up in the town hall and the Lengenbacher Saal, some houses are still uninhabitable. Nevertheless, the drinking water supply was largely maintained, although three out of five wells cannot be used temporarily.

The Black Hawk was able to repair two damaged dams with big bags in the north of St. Pölten.

(Bild: BFKDO St. Pölten)

Mobile toilets and false reports
In St. Pölten, the Pottenbrunn district was particularly badly affected by a dam burst. The repair of the defective sewage disposal system will continue for days - five toilet container facilities are available. A false report, which even the town hall itself bought into, also caused a stir.

It was about the failure of the gas supply and a risk for households if they do not turn off the gas tap themselves. "There is no danger, Pottenbrunn will continue to be supplied with gas," confirmed the town and EVN. The danger situation at Grasberg in the Wasserburg district was more acute. There, the subsoil in the Kellergasse is cracking more and more. It was already threatening to slide away on Tuesday morning.