Austria's Village Raises Concerns Among Residents
People in Deutschfeistritz, a town in Styria, are stuck at home because of intense rain. The center of the town is only accessible by boat, while vehicles are being carried away by the torrents. The town's administration has issued a warning of impending danger.
Deutschfeistritz, a place with a population of 4,000, has become a dangerous spot following a storm. The administration is urging its residents to remain indoors due to fatal conditions. In addition to the existing flooding, another weather front with up to 100 liters of rain per square meter is forecast. The local government revealed this information on their Facebook page in the evening.
Boats are the only way to get to the town center, the "Kleine Zeitung" reported. Some people were trapped inside their cars, but they could be saved, a municipal spokesperson told the newspaper. Pictures showed that the water masses had forced cars against the walls of houses. The Ubelbach stream, which flows through the town, turned into a fast-moving river after Saturday's heavy rain. The Red Cross has set up a relief station at a local school to provide residents with essential supplies, the town's government disclosed.
Civil defense messages have also been sent to some smaller towns in Styria due to flooding. No casualties have been reported yet. A landslide slid onto an autobahn, which then had to be closed due to the massive amounts of earth and gravel, the autobahn operator ASFINAG announced.
Storms and heavy rain in southern Germany
Following extensive weather alerts and rainfall in southern Germany, there were no major interventions by the fire brigade during the evening. The German Weather Service had warned various districts in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg about heavy thunderstorms and a lot of rain. Most of these warnings have been lifted.
In Veringenstadt, a town near Reutlingen, the fire department was extracting water from the streets and basements. The sewage system couldn't keep up with the rainfall, a firefighter said.
In Bavaria, the police departments in Rosenheim and Kempten mentioned that there had been a regular number of interventions by police and fire brigade. In Swabia, hail fell in certain areas. Several parts of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg were battling serious flooding. The situation was particularly critical in Regensburg, where the Danube was only slowly receding.
