Major Emergency in Sölden

Severe Weather: A Trail of Devastation; Video Shows Mudslides

The storm left a trail of devastation in its wake. On the left is the wastewater treatment plant in Sölden. On the right are damaged cars.(Bild: Krone-Collage/Facebook/We love Ötztal)

Dramatic and harrowing scenes unfolded on Wednesday evening and into Thursday morning in the Ötztal valley in Tyrol. Severe storms struck the Sölden area in particular, triggering mudslides and flooding. A civil defense alert and an AT-Alert were triggered for the municipality. Photos and videos online show the forces of nature at work. Mudslides also occurred again in the Pitztal Valley!

At around 10:45 p.m., the AT-Alert was triggered for the municipality of Sölden. The state of Tyrol had sent the official warning—due to the severe storms—to all mobile phones registered in the area. An emergency shelter was set up at the Sölden Leisure Arena. At the same time, the civil defense alarm was also sounded on site.

“Go to upper floors”
Residents were urged to stay at home and move to upper floors. Basements, underground parking garages, and underpasses were to be avoided—as were bodies of water and areas along their banks. People were instructed to leave bridges immediately. Their lives were in danger!

30 people brought to safety
Near the so-called Rofenhöfe, close to the Vent district, a mudslide had blocked a road, and about 30 people had to be brought to safety, Mayor Ernst Schöpf said that same evening.

The 30 people affected were housed in a hotel in Vent, Schöpf said. Masses of debris blocked parking lots and a road. Several cars are reported to have been damaged. Due to the heavy rainfall, basements and underground parking garages in the Sölden area were also flooded. There were also power outages and flooded sections of road.

Major cleanup efforts began that same evening and continued through the night. Shortly before midnight, the AT-Alert and the civil defense alarm were finally lifted.

Sewage Treatment Plant Causes Concern
A wastewater treatment plant in the northern part of the municipality was apparently also affected. This plant remained a cause for concern on Thursday, even as cleanup efforts were still in full swing. It was surrounded by masses of debris and mud.

A video shows the wastewater treatment plant surrounded by mud and debris:

At first, it was not possible to reach the treatment plant. Therefore, no information could initially be provided regarding the extent of the potential damage there. Crews were now making their way toward the plant; two excavators and volunteers were already on the scene.

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Fotos

Pictures from the day after the storm:

Storm Followed by a Starry Night
Shortly before midnight, the storms had left the rear Ötztal valley. “As unbelievable as it sounds: we’re already enjoying a starry night again,” said Mayor Schöpf.

A huge stroke of luck amid the disaster: No one was injured!

Mudslides also in the Pitztal
The storm also prompted emergency responses in the Pitztal on Wednesday evening. Two mudslides blocked the L16 Pitztal Road near Plangeroß. The road remains closed in the affected areas for the time being and will likely not be reopened to traffic until sometime on Thursday, after cleanup work is completed.

Mudslides also occurred in the Pitztal valley.(Bild: Land Tirol)

Heavy equipment is being used for the cleanup efforts.(Bild: Land Tirol)

The mudslides had shifted the road both before and after the Plangeroß district—outside the residential area—over a stretch of about one hundred meters in each direction. “We’ve been cleaning up since last night and worked through the entire night. In total, we have two excavators and two wheel loaders in operation,” explained Hartmut Neurauter from the Zams Road Maintenance District on Thursday morning.