Bad Eisenkappel

Traces are still visible

In the Remschenigraben, Rosi Pirker remembers the mudslide of 2023.(Bild: Evelyn Hronek)

The storms in Bad Eisenkappel last year caused a lot of damage. Much has already been repaired. What remains is the fear of a repeat of such a natural disaster.

The idyllic Vellach can turn into a disastrous monster when it rains heavily. It also showed this during the storms in 2023. Its masses of water left a trail of devastation across the municipality of Bad Eisenkappel. The R1E cycle path, a tourist attraction from Miklauzhof to the climatic health resort, was hit particularly hard. "The water washed out many areas. The cycle path was no longer available in some places," explains Mayor Elisabeth Lobnik.

The damage caused by last year's storms amounted to around two million euros. Lobnik: "The work on the cycle path is almost complete."

We've lived here for decades. The mudslide shot past us like an avalanche from above. We were all totally shocked and also happy that nothing happened to us.

Rosi Pirker

The traces are still visible on many private properties. Landslides are a particular problem. In the Remschenig ditch, a small stream has become a raging river. The torrent and avalanche control experts have done a great job since last year. Resident Rosi Pirker remembers the mudslide that thundered down into the valley as a meter-high avalanche the previous year: "An excavator was already busy clearing away the first mudslide when suddenly huge masses of debris thundered down before our eyes with a loud roar." The vegetable plot and the road were suddenly gone: "It could have hit our barn or the house."

In Bad Eisenkappel, the storms of 2023 caused a lot of damage. Much has already been repaired.(Bild: Evelyn Hronek )

The road was passable again relatively quickly and was repaired. "Around 50 trucks of material had to be removed," says Pirker. "Today, the expansion of the stream bed is complete, which is great. Unfortunately, the idyll of before no longer exists."