Weirs under heavy strain

Violent storms create dangerous situations

The thunderstorm front caused extensive damage throughout Austria.(Bild: FF Pfaffenschlag)

On Sunday afternoon, severe thunderstorms swept across large parts of Austria. There was isolated damage—fallen trees in particular created dangerous situations.

Violent thunderstorms once again put the fire department and water rescue services to the test: In Lower Austria, fallen trees caused accidents on the Westautobahn and a train cancellation, among other things, and a lightning strike also set the tower of Dobersberg Castle on fire, the fire departments reported.

According to the Severe Weather Center, wind gusts near Wiener Neustadt reached up to 110 kilometers per hour. A red alert was even in effect for parts of Lower Austria, Tyrol, Styria, Burgenland, and Carinthia.

High-altitude rescue operation for the fire departments in Dobersberg, where lightning struck the castle.(Bild: BFK Waidhofen / R. Leyrer-Schlosser)

In Styria, an entire zoo had to be evacuated. Emergency responders also had their hands full in the Salzburg Lake District, where several boats and water sports enthusiasts had to be rescued.

But first things first: Around 4 p.m., lightning struck the tower of Dobersberg Castle in the Lower Austrian district of Waidhofen an der Thaya, setting the spire on fire. Several fire departments from surrounding communities were on the scene, extinguishing the fire from a turntable ladder. Breathing apparatus teams searched the interior of the tower for additional hot spots. Around 5:30 p.m., the fire was declared out.

Cars Hit by Trees
Near Pfaffenschlag (Waidhofen district), a car was struck by a falling tree. The driver sustained minor injuries. In the Amstetten and Scheibbs districts as well, gusts of wind uprooted trees that blocked roads. Several accidents also occurred on the Westautobahn due to fallen tree trunks.

In Altmünster (Upper Austria), a boat had to be recovered.(Bild: FF Altmünster)

In Knittelfeld (Styria), a roof was partially torn off.(Bild: Thomas Zeiler)

In the district of Waidhofen (Lower Austria), a disaster was narrowly averted.(Bild: FF Pfaffenschlag)

Several cars were struck, but according to initial reports, no one was seriously injured. In the Scheibbs district, a mudslide occurred as a result of the heavy rainfall. In St. Valentin, a tree fell onto a railway overhead line and sparked a fire, forcing a train to stop on the open track.

In Ernsthofen (Amstetten district), several people were rescued from floodwaters when a thunderstorm front swept through the district around 4:30 p.m., resulting in hundreds of emergency calls and 50 fire department responses within 20 minutes. “The thunderstorm cell caused a multitude of damage situations within a very short time,” reports fire department spokesperson Philipp Gutlederer from the Amstetten Regional Emergency Operations Center.

Water rescue in Salzburg in continuous operation
In Salzburg, water rescue teams were in constant action: Several boats were rescued on Lake Wallersee and Lake Mattsee in Salzburg in the late afternoon. On Lake Fuschlsee, a sailboat partially sank; the rescue operation was still underway in the early evening.

In addition, several water sports enthusiasts were temporarily reported missing on Lake Fuschl—but they were found safe and sound after the thunderstorm. Smaller boats also had to be rescued on Lake Wolfgang and Lake Mondsee. A total of seven water rescue stations in the Flachgau region were on duty, reported the Salzburg Water Rescue Service.

Incidents also in Tyrol and Upper Austria
“On Sunday, there were again around 400 calls for 260 fire departments,” added Clemens Arzt, duty officer at the Upper Austrian State Fire Department Command. Almost all districts were affected. There were no injuries, though in some cases it was only by luck: At Pleschinger See near Linz, a tree nearly fell on a group seeking shelter beneath it, and in St. Florian near Linz, a tree fell onto the road directly in front of a young moped rider. 

Fallen branch in Kitzbühel(Bild: Stadtfeuerwehr Kitzbühel)

In Tyrol, one incident had a less fortunate outcome. In the upscale resort town of Kitzbühel, a woman was struck on the head by a falling branch (see photo above). Despite her injury, the woman was still able to call 911 herself. She suffered a laceration and was taken to the hospital.