Severe Weather in Burgenland

“Like a ghost ride through disaster zones”

The hurricane-force gusts were so violent that even heavy truck trailers were knocked over as if they were toys.(Bild: BFKDO-ND_03)

A storm of tremendous force ravaged the town of Kittsee in northern Burgenland on Thursday evening: Hurricane-force gusts ripped off roofs, uprooted trees and streetlights, and even overturned heavy truck trailers. This was compounded by heavy rain and flooded basements. About 130 emergency responders worked at 60 incident sites to deal with the aftermath. Cleanup efforts are still ongoing.

Thunder, lightning, heavy rain, and hurricane-force gusts: The massive thunderstorm cell that swept over the northernmost part of Burgenland shortly after 5 p.m. on Thursday left a trail of destruction in its wake. The town of Kittsee was particularly hard hit. But Edelstal also felt the effects of the storm.

According to firefighters, driving through Kittsee was like “a ghostly journey through a disaster zone.” Right at the entrance to town, a completely destroyed construction trailer lay on a construction site to the right. Construction fences were also scattered haphazardly everywhere.

At the parking lot of the large K1 and K2 shopping centers, damaged cars and wrecked shopping carts were visible, as well as damaged streetlights, trees, storefronts, and shopping cart shelters.

Canopies over the walkways were completely destroyed.(Bild: BFKDO-ND_16)

Streetlights snapped off like matchsticks.(Bild: BFKDO-ND_18)

The hurricane-force gusts were so violent that even heavy truck trailers were knocked over as if they were toys.(Bild: BFKDO-ND_03)

A Scene of Devastation
In a supermarket, a structural failure had trapped numerous customers and employees inside. In some places, the water in the parking lot was ankle-deep. As we drove on toward the town center, nearly every tree was damaged or had been completely uprooted.

Local cemetery heavily affected
Everywhere you looked, there were broken branches, damaged fences, and flower boxes tossed about. Several roofs in the town were also severely damaged and partially or completely torn off. Metal roofs were in danger of detaching and crashing to the ground. Large truck trailers were knocked over like shoeboxes. The local cemetery was also severely affected, according to the municipality of Kittsee.

The roof of the funeral hall at the cemetery was also blown away.(Bild: BFKDO-ND_07)

Numerous basements were flooded.(Bild: BFKDO-ND_10)

In addition to the storm damage, residents also felt the effects of the heavy rain. Numerous basements had to be pumped out. Over the course of the evening and night, a total of seven fire departments were called in to assist.

In addition to the Kittsee Fire Department, fire departments from Bruckneudorf, Deutsch Jahrndorf, Edelstal, Gattendorf, Neusiedl am See, Pama, and Zurndorf were also on the scene with a total of over 20 vehicles—including two aerial rescue vehicles—and approximately 130 firefighters.

Volunteer Assistance
They had to respond to approximately 60 emergency calls. The fire departments’ main tasks included securing roofs, pumping out water, removing fallen trees, and performing other safety and cleanup operations. In Edelstal, more than ten incident sites were also handled before the additional call-out to Kittsee. Shortly before 1 a.m., all the fire departments that had been called in were able to return to their stations. The Kittsee Fire Department, however, remains on the scene. Fortunately, according to initial reports, no one was injured. 

Heavy branches snapped under the force of the storm and crashed to the ground.(Bild: BFKDO-ND_11)

A view of a devastated construction site.(Bild: BFKDO-ND_06)

The municipality of Kittsee has called on residents to volunteer today, Friday, to help clean up the damage. The joint cleanup efforts have been underway since 8:30 a.m. 

Lake Neusiedl Benefits
The heavy rain had a slightly positive effect on the water level in Lake Neusiedl. By early Friday morning, the level had risen by nearly two centimeters to 115.03 meters above the Adriatic Sea, putting it once again ten centimeters above the lowest level recorded for this time of year since 1965, which was measured in 2022.