"Crown" on board

On a tornado mission with the Graz Florianis

A tornado swirls in Eggenberg, numerous emergency calls come in - the "Krone" was also on duty.(Bild: Jörg Schwaiger)

The command vehicle, two fire engines and the turntable ladder make their way through dense afternoon traffic in the Graz city area with their sirens blaring and blue lights flashing. A tornado is swirling in Eggenberg and numerous emergency calls are pouring in. The "Krone" accompanied the Florianis of the Graz professional fire department on their turbulent operations.

Early in the morning on Tuesday, the officers of the Graz professional fire department study the weather maps, which do not bode well. In the late afternoon, heavy thunderstorms are forecast to move across the city: The 56 men on duty at the three fire stations in the provincial capital are gearing up for a mission-intensive service. Uprooted trees, fallen branches and flooding could blossom and the emergency telephone "storm" could ring. And that's exactly what happened.