Bad Weather in Austria: It Is “State of Catastrophe”

The situation in Austria is worsening by the hour, where after several days of heavy rain, water levels in several rivers are rising sharply, and many of them have already overflowed their banks. Due to floods and strong winds, the Lower Austria region around Vienna, the capital of Austria, has been declared a “disaster zone.” According to local governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner, “at least six rivers in Lower Austria have overflowed their banks, resulting in severe flooding on several roads in the region.” There is a high risk of landslides in some areas due to water-saturated ground, and two metro lines are partially closed in the capital.

The situation is particularly dangerous around the Kamp and Krems rivers, which are tributaries of the Danube. The ÖBB railroad company has suspended train service in the east of the country.

In addition to Austria, Storm Boris, which caused incessant rain in Central and Eastern Europe, also affected the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania (where five deaths were recorded), Slovakia, and Poland, where one person died after being dragged by a torrent of water. In these countries, many roads and railroad tracks are completely blocked, and some areas have no electricity.

Firefighters had to rescue people trapped in their homes on the night of Saturday to Sunday (September 14-15). An Austrian firefighter died during a rescue operation due to a man stuck in his car. In some municipalities, residents of streets near rivers had to leave their homes. Declaring a disaster zone gives authorities greater powers, such as the right to order evacuations.