Severely Affected

Flood: “I don’t even have any socks left!”

The property belonging to Irmgard Slanar and Regine Kalisch has been devastated. The house is no longer habitable.(Bild: Zwefo)

The “Krone” visits flood victims in Penzing who have been severely affected. Financial aid from the City of Vienna is now getting underway.

Irmgard Slanar stands in front of her house and shakes her head. “The flood destroyed almost everything. We don’t know how we’re supposed to move forward now,” the 66-year-old begins. The water in her wooden house reached a height of 1.50 meters after the Wien River burst its banks. The entire basement was flooded. The heat pump and the electrical systems are ruined. In the background, two workers are removing the stubborn mud from the once-beautiful garden.

Vienna got off relatively lightly when it came to the flooding. But especially here in Penzing, in the Hadersdorf-Weidlingau district, the massive amounts of rain caused extensive damage. On Ludwiggasse, for example, about 100 people had to be evacuated by the fire department. Very close by, the city’s mobile operations center has been set up since Wednesday—at 12 Herzmanskystraße.

The Flood Commission with a mobile operations center in Vienna’s 14th district at 12 Herzmanskystraße(Bild: Zwefo)

During the “Krone” on-site visit, the first flood victims were already waiting there. From 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., the bus operated by the Emergency Response Team serves as a contact point. Staff from the response team are helping people fill out the damage report form. Once the claim is confirmed and finalized by the Flood Commission, financial assistance is provided via a payment order from the Department of Finance (MA 5). Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) has ensured that Vienna meets the “ ” maximum rate of up to 50 percent—with a cap on the total damage amount of up to 100,000 euros—as we previously reported.

Harald Havlicek’s apartment was completely destroyed by the flood.(Bild: Zwefo)

Harald Havlicek (67) was also particularly hard hit. The retiree lives on the ground floor on Alois-Czedik-Gasse, right next to the Wien River. His home became uninhabitable on September 15. He woke up at 5 a.m. to find himself already standing ankle-deep in water.

The City of Vienna’s Flood Commission is assessing the damage on site.(Bild: Zwefo)

“I knew I had to get out immediately. Now I don’t even have any socks left!” said the retiree, still in shock. Since then, he has been staying with a neighbor. The building’s garage was also flooded. A car and a motorcycle were damaged. But his home insurance company is turning a blind eye.

Back to Ms. Slanar. After the Flood Commission’s visit, she seems somewhat relieved for the first time. Following an initial assessment, she was told she could expect 70,000 euros in financial aid. A first glimmer of hope.