In Styria, a man was trapped and seriously injured by a fallen tree. The 77-year-old was taken to LKH Graz, reported the police. Helpers were also deployed in Lower Austria, Burgenland, and Upper Austria.

Nearly 1,000 firefighters were deployed in Styria alone due to storms

Vasoldsberg. The 67-year-old wife of the 77-year-old Styrian had called the emergency services around 7:00 PM because her husband was hit by the tree in their own garden in Vasoldsberg (Graz-Umgebung district). The couple had wanted to secure an awning due to the approaching storm. Suddenly, the tree next to the garden shed snapped and fell on the pensioner. He was seriously hit on the back. The Vasoldsberg fire department freed the Styrian. The wife remained uninjured, while her husband was taken to the hospital by ambulance. The rescue helicopter had to return to the base due to the bad weather forecast. In total, nearly 1,000 firefighters were deployed in Styria on Monday evening due to storms and their aftermath, said Thomas Meier, spokesperson for the state fire brigade association, to APA on Tuesday. The most affected was the Graz-Umgebung district as well as parts of Eastern Styria. Around 180 operations were reported and about 100 brigades were alerted.

Storms: Operations also in Lower Austria and Upper Austria

In Lower Austria, the fire brigades were alerted to 120 operations after storms, shared Klaus Stebal from the state command. More than 50 of these were in the Baden district. After a thunderstorm with hail and strong gusts of wind on late Monday afternoon, helpers had to remove fallen trees and broken branches, secure roofs and objects, perform pumping operations, and clear blockages. There were isolated floods. In total, 23 volunteer fire brigades were deployed. The emergency services were particularly challenged in the greater Ebreichsdorf area, in several villages in the Triestingtal, and in some southern railway communities. No one was injured, but there was significant property damage to buildings and vehicles, reported the Baden district command in a release. In Upper Austria, 148 fire brigades with 2,200 people handled 170 operations on Monday. From about 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM, the storm moved from the west over the central area. The alerts involved fallen trees, pumping, and securing operations, with the wind causing the most damage. No one was seriously injured, according to the state fire brigade command.

Operations due to storms also in Burgenland, Salzburg, and Vorarlberg

In Burgenland, the fire brigades also responded to numerous storm operations. The Oberwart district was particularly affected. 13 fire brigades had to handle over 50 operations there. Around 200 members worked into the late night hours to clear storm damage on roofs, remove fallen trees, and combat flooding, reported the district fire brigade command. The work in the Kemeten industrial area was particularly complex. Large amounts of water had accumulated on a flat roof, which the emergency services could no longer access due to compromised structural integrity and the risk of collapse. Therefore, the water was suctioned off using a crane, according to the fire brigade.

In the city of Salzburg, the fire brigade had to respond to more than 70 operations on Monday evening after a thunderstorm with wind, hail, and heavy rain. Roofs were uncovered, and branches were broken from trees, with water entering some buildings. Additionally, the Maxglan cemetery was closed for safety reasons due to storm damage until further notice. To process the damage cases more quickly, the professional fire brigade brought in additional personnel. They were supported by three fire-fighting units of the volunteer fire brigade. About 25 fire brigade operations were reported from the outskirts of the city in the early evening.

In Vorarlberg, 19 people had to be rescued from a gondola on the Dornbirn local mountain Karren on Monday because a strong gust of wind had torn the carrying and traction cable from the rollers. The rescue was challenging, with the first passenger being lowered around 7:15 PM. The rescue of all passengers was not completed until 10:30 PM. According to a city spokesperson, no one was injured.

(APA/Red)

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