Affected person tells:

“I don’t know what to do next”

(Bild: Christian Schulter)

Sonja G. (62) is one of hundreds of people affected by the storm disaster who are looking at the ruins of their existence. She has to cope with 150,000 euros in damages. The "Krone" spoke to her about the drama.

The storm of the past few days struck Sonja G.'s house in Grafenschachen in the Oberwart district like a huge bolt of lightning. In an instant, heavy rain showers caused streams to form on the gentle slope in front of her property, which soon turned into a raging river that washed up huge tree roots, logs and debris in the previously well-tended garden.

+1

Fotos

Ground collapsed
The fence could not withstand the incessant impact. The ground collapsed along the foundation walls of the house, the holes outside and the living rooms inside quickly filled with water and mud. The water level rose. The heat pump gave up the ghost.

The consequences are terrible.

Hausbesitzerin Soja G.

Car lost in 2016
According to experts, she has to put up with €150,000 in repairs. The financial aid from the state and that from the insurance company, €10,000 in total, was just a drop in the ocean. "The flood in 2016 caused similarly expensive damage. I also lost my car back then," Sonja G. recalls with horror.

The helpfulness of the local residents gave her hope. This solidarity was felt again in 2018, she says. "The storms were just as bad then. But I was better prepared." But now the effects of the freak weather are even more devastating, says the 62-year-old.

"Means exhausted"
She is on the verge of tears. She spent 400,000 euros upgrading her home - all for nothing. Her house is now uninhabitable. "My financial resources are exhausted," Sonja G. explains. A friend helps her out with a roof over her head.

The ground around the house has collapsed, and the living rooms don't look much better.(Bild: Christian Schulter)

Community wants to help
Mayor Marc Hoppel offers comfort and encouragement: "We are in the middle of the clean-up work. We still have a lot to do over the next few weeks. The damaged dam has to be rebuilt."

Hoppel emphasizes that the municipality wants to support all those who have been hit particularly hard as much as possible. Sonja G. is still struggling to cope with the tense situation: "I don't know what to do next."