The most recent storm on Thursday evening left a trail of devastation in Upper Carinthian communities and valleys. The “Krone” moved into the disaster areas.
On the way to the Radenthein disaster area, Friday morning began like a normal, beautiful and sunny summer’s day. But at the Kaning place-name sign, the mood changes abruptly. It is not possible to continue driving. The road is flooded with mud and masses of rubble, the streams are three times as high and wide and the emergency services have their hands full. “Had to stay somewhere else” On the way there we meet a young man who is walking to his family. “I come from work and couldn’t go home to Kaning because of the storm on Friday night. I had to leave my car behind,” says Stefan Penker, who had to spend the night in the valley during the night of the devastating storm. Destroyed driveway to his house A young firefighter is shoveling away the masses of mud just outside his house at the entrance to the town. His family was able to get to safety in time from the heavy debris. “I could smell the earth that came like a mudslide along the river before that. We ran as fast as we could up a hill above our house,” says fireman Michael Poppernitsch, describing the horror scenes. “Shortly thereafter, the access bridge to our house was torn away.” However, houses had to be evacuated. “Danger was imminent! The ground was swept away from a holiday home,” says Mayor Michael Maier. “Mainly managed huts are affected and cut off from the outside world. 25 vacationers were flown out of the valley by helicopter in the afternoon and were accommodated locally in hotels or have already left.” “The pain runs deep!” And there is also nothing left of the popular excursion destination Mühlenwanderweg. “The pain is deep! All the mills except one were washed away.” According to the weather forecast, the emergency services cannot breathe a sigh of relief. A stormy weekend is ahead.
source site-12