City invests

Flood risk remains in Klagenfurt

A lake of sewer water formed in front of the Klagenfurt lido in 2023 after heavy rainfall.(Bild: Hronek Eveline)

Following the severe flooding in 2023, the Carinthian capital is investing one million euros in the fire department. Groundwater levels continue to pose a major threat.

Klagenfurt was not spared from the storms last summer either. After heavy rainfall, the south-east of the city was flooded. Around 15,000 households were affected by the flooding. The fire departments in the districts of Waidmannsdorf and Viktring had to be called out around 1,000 times within a few hours. The Treimischer Teich pond in Viktring burst its banks.

Sandbags prevented the worst
"We were just able to prevent the worst with sandbags, otherwise we would have had to evacuate Viktring," recalls Wolfgang Germ from the professional fire department. The lido also had to be closed for two weeks due to the flooding.

Large sandbags in the area of the Treimischer Teich still bear witness to the flood in Klagenfurt today.(Bild: Tragner)

Huge sandbags in the area of the pond still bear witness to the severe storm. Even though a million euros has now been invested in improving the fire department's material and equipment, the risk of flooding remains latent. "The problem is simply the groundwater," explains city manager Christian Scheider. "When its level rises, it penetrates the cellars."

Councillor Sandra Wassermann announces that the Sattnitz is to be expanded by 2027.