Although the rainfall has decreased, Austria’s flooded areas are still unclear: In Lower Austria, seven towns in Tullnerfeld were evacuated on Tuesday night, the APA news agency reported. The Red Cross has set up emergency shelters for up to 1,000 people at the trade fair in Tulln.
Five deaths in Lower Austria
There are conflicting reports about the death toll, which was recently put at five as of 6:40 p.m. In total, at least 20 people died due to flooding in Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland and Romania.
Twelve dam failures and “incredibly extensive damage”
Overnight, levels fell almost everywhere, Lt. Gov. Stephen Bernkopf told APA news agency. “Flood dams in the Lower Campdal were also held, but there was “incredibly large damage across the country”.
12 dams have broken so far. The situation on Tuesday was particularly bad in the Tullnerfeld, Sankt Pölten area and Pielachtal. “Dams here are very fragile, sometimes breaking into small or large sections and needing to be protected and renovated with heavy equipment,” Bernkop said.
The state capital Sankt Pölten is still affected. There was a cistern full. Many parts of the city are flooded. The situation in the neighboring state of Upper Austria is also tense. There, the water levels of the main rivers Salzac, Enz and Danube have risen.
Driving on the Danube is prohibited
Since last weekend, new parts of the Danube have been closed. On Tuesday, shipping was finally banned in the border area of Bavaria: a lot of meltwater is expected from the mountains in the next few days. Due to the blockade, around 70 cargo ships and 70 passenger ships are currently stranded in Austria. Most of the passengers have already managed to go ashore.
Relaxation in Vienna, but landslide warning
Meanwhile, there is relaxation in Vienna. As the water level of the Vienna River has receded again, the initial clean-up work has begun. However, local public transport is restricted in the Austrian capital.
According to Pernkopf, meteorologists in Lower Austria no longer expect “basically any widespread precipitation” in the coming days. However, experts are now warning of the threat of landslides, as floods can cause landslides and rockfalls, as well as entire mountain slopes.
Nehammer promises immediate help
Meanwhile, Austrian Chancellor Karl Neuhammer has confirmed an emergency aid package of 75 million euros. Nehhammer said the state disaster fund, currently topped up at 300 million euros, could also be increased. Austria’s insurance companies promise quick assistance for insurable damage.
