Investments in the millions have been made since the flood of the century in July 2021. Endangered regions in Salzburg, especially in Pinzgau and Pongau, were prepared for severe weather. However, a Monday with huge amounts of rain was enough to show that you are not prepared for every atypical weather situation.
The pictures of the brown, menacing waterfall in Bad Gastein went all over Austria. There were serious problems in the Gasteinertal, but elsewhere. Dorfgastein and especially Bad Hofgastein were hit hard. “There were 75 deployment sites, 94 men were required,” said Hofgastein’s fire brigade commander Rupert Sendlhofer. The water caused the greatest damage to private houses. 50 people in Kolm-Saigurn, including Raurisertal and Großarltal, two neighbors of Gasteinertal, were also badly affected. A passed retention basin in Rauris-Bucheben destroyed the road. In Kolm-Saigurn, around 50 people were still cut off from the outside world at the end of the valley on Tuesday. Hundreds of meters of road through the entire valley have to be remade. Hours of workTake a deep breath and clean up – that was the motto in Bischofshofen too. The city’s volunteer fire brigade was in action in Graßlau until Tuesday evening. The Salzach and groundwater had flooded the streets and cellars of an entire settlement. “An oil tank was damaged, we had to request a special device,” said Hartmut Wetteskind. The commander of the fire brigade has been in constant use with his emergency services since Monday afternoon. Other Pongau fire brigades with. In total, more than 1,500 Floriani were in action throughout Salzburg. Pinzgaubahn destroyed again The route of the Pinzgau local railway in Niedernsill was hit hard in July 2021. In the past two years, around two million euros have flowed into the renovation of just one section. But the flooding has now struck again. “Unfortunately, there was a dam burst between Uttendorf and Niedersill,” explained Niedernsill’s local manager Günther Brennsteiner. “A concrete wall gave way. That really shouldn’t happen.” Apparently, the investments didn’t pay off – the Pinzgau local railway should be flood-proof. The renovation should have been completed in the fall. Now the reconstruction, especially in the eastern part of Oberpinzgau, is starting all over again. “We’re really not being lucky,” says Brennsteiner. ÖBB also had its hands full on Monday and Tuesday. Train traffic was still interrupted at several points in Pongau. Long-distance traffic on the Tauern route and train traffic over the Lueg pass resumed on Tuesday evening. 30-year flood in Mittersill and Hofgastein The unusual weather situation, above all the south-north flow, amazed even experts. The huge amounts of precipitation, up to 130 liters per square meter fell in the Tauern, did the rest. Within a few hours, the levels of streams and rivers rose dramatically, especially in the inner mountains. In Mittersill and in Bad Hofgastein, for example, there were flood situations that only occur every 30 years. Geosphere Austria is giving the all-clear for the coming days. “It will still rain occasionally, the precipitation will decrease significantly,” says meteorologist Josef Haslhofer. “Even the sun is showing up, and there could be thunderstorms in some places only on Sunday.” Harald Huemer from the state’s hydrographic service sees hardly any problems in Salzburg due to the forecast renewed precipitation.
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