Exactly one week ago, Lower Austria’s first cities were declared disaster areas after heavy rains. Seven days later, some places still have water in cellars, garages and fields. For example, the cadastral community in Moosbierbaum, Atzenbrück (Dallen district). The local area was flooded after a dam broke in Perchling.
“Sometimes my nerves are borderline. I cried a lot. But when you see the suffering and the suffering, it’s clear: there’s nothing more to say: let’s help together, we’ll get through it somehow,” says Pete Zilch, mayor of Atzenbrück.
Firefighters continue to work
Firefighters have been working here for a week, says Norbert Quixtner, the fire department’s operations manager. “Of course they’re all tired and haven’t had much sleep. But we’re doing our best for people.
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20 kilometers away in St. Bolton-Bottenbrunn, clean-up is in full swing. A few days ago, water was standing here, but now there is a huge pile of garbage in front of the houses. Due to the broken sewerage system, toilet tanks were installed for the residents.
Great unity in Pottenbrunn
“I can’t wash, my grandson always comes and takes me to St Bolton,” says resident Francisca Stadler. A few houses away, Karl Kiehl is cleaning his mother-in-law’s house. Here the damage is significantly higher. “The fire brigade came and evacuated the basement on Monday afternoon and we have been clearing the basement since then. “Now it’s a matter of determining the damage, because the water seeped through the ceiling into the living room,” says Kiehl.
In any case, there is great unity among the people, says Martin Konl: “This Austrian unity is a dream. I also saw it with my brother: friends suddenly stopped there and took people with them. Later, 20 meters long and three meters high ruins were revealed. It’s really crazy.”
Residents of Markersdorf face the ruins of their existence
The flood also left a trail of destruction in Markersdorf (St. Pölten district). “We had to evacuate the whole house from the inside. “I didn’t know what was going to happen next,” says Christian Butz. “The whole thing was devastating for me, because my entire basement, where my machines were, was flooded up to the basement ceiling in a few minutes,” says Martin Hüfler.
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In any case, the gratitude among the people is great. “There’s the fire department, crews from the next town, youth from the countryside, everything is there. “We work from early in the morning, until sunrise, until sunset,” says Helmut Brandstatter from Markersdorf. Accidents like last week’s floods bring people together: “People we don’t even know help us and become friends. “It’s unbelievable at the moment,” says Christian Butz.
Cleaning up after a landslide in Beelachal
Belachtal was also a major site for the flood disaster. 100 landslides occurred in Frankenfels (St. Pölten district) alone. Excavators are now used here. Some residents escaped with a black eye. “I’m from Poklaren and experienced the flood in 1954. Peter Durscherl, who lives in Frankenfels, says: “I know it was mild for us.
Here, too, people quickly worked together to clear the flooded underground mud: “The great clean-up has begun, and most of it has already been done. All mud is out of the basement. Neighbors immediately helped us. It was really good,” says Hermann Wieder of Frankenfels.
