Intense downpours spark commuting havoc in Vienna
Austria is bracing for yet another round of heavy rainfall, as per the ORF weather service. In Lower Austria, which has been declared a disaster zone, the night was relatively calm, reported a fire department spokesperson.
However, up to 60 liters of rain per square meter are projected in the eastern federal state by Tuesday, according to a state government representative. ORF weather experts predict even more precipitation in certain locations, from Tyrol to eastern Austria.
In Vienna, the capital surrounded by Lower Austria, commuters are still facing issues with public transportation, despite the lowering water levels. Most of the city's subway lines are operating on limited routes at the beginning of the workweek. The state-owned railway company ÖBB has halted trains on their southern and western routes to and from Vienna.
Firefighter perishes
In the severely affected Lower Austria, over 300 individuals were rescued from the flooding during the weekend, as per the rescue teams. A firefighter lost his life on Sunday in Rust, Lower Austria's Tullnerfeld, while pumping water out of a basement.
In St. Pölten, a dam broke, inundating numerous houses. The municipality has established emergency shelters. Lower Austria's Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner stated in the late afternoon that this was an unprecedented situation. By late Sunday evening, as reported by "Der Standard," 304 individuals needed rescue in the district of St. Pölten.
At the Ottenstein dam on the Kamp river, floodgates have been opened to let out some of the water volume in a controlled manner. Water is now cascading down the dam, causing further increases in the lower Kamp's water level, flooding streets and fields.
Over 25,000 deployment personnel are currently active in Lower Austria, assisted by around 1,000 soldiers. The military is airlifting large sand and gravel bags with a Black Hawk helicopter until evening to patch leaks in dams.
The European Union has expressed its solidarity with Austria, offering assistance in the aftermath of the devastating floods. The European Commission's Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) is coordinating the EU's response.
In light of the severe flooding in Lower Austria, the European Union may consider providing financial aid to the affected areas through its Solidarity Fund, which is designed to help members recover from natural disasters.
