Austria was facing severe flooding on Monday after days of relentless rain, with warnings that things could get worse in the coming days.
Lower Austria, the region around the capital Vienna, remained in "crisis mode," with public transport paralysed, hundreds of roads closed, and normal life brought to a standstill, governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner said in a press conference early Monday.
Emergency services were mobilised nationwide, and officials urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel and stay away from affected areas.
READ ALSO: IN PICTURES: How devastating floods turned Austria into a 'disaster zone'
On Monday morning, police confirmed two men were found dead in their homes: a 70-year-old in the district of St. Pölten-Land and an 80-year-old in Korneuburg. Both were victims of "the masses of water inside their homes", police said. That raises the total number of victims to three, as the death of a firefighter on duty in Tulln had already been reported on Sunday.
Lower Austria in crisis mode
Pole Shift Perhaps? ?
— H.E. Thomas Cavin (@HeCavin1) September 16, 2024
BREAKING – All of Lower Austria has been declared as a disaster area
Footage shows the Traisen river in Wilhelmsburg, south of St. Pölten, in Lower Austria, who have completely flooded.
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Mikl-Leitner stressed that the situation remained critical in lower Austria, with around 25,000 emergency personnel deployed. The governor and Fire Service Commander Dietmar Fahrafellner didn't have specific numbers, but Austrian media said there were reports of around 1,100 properties evacuated.
Flood damage was widespread, and rescue operations are continuing, especially in St. Pölten, Krems, and Tulln. Over 300 people were rescued from the St. Pölten district alone.
Authorities have warned the public not to make any non-essential journeys and warned people against putting themselves and rescue teams at risk just to take photos of the flood waters.
Roads remained severely affected on Monday, with parts of the A2, A3, and A21 motorways closed due to flooding.
highway A2 near Laxenburg (lower Austria). Interestingly, it was not the Dunai or another large river that flooded there, but only a small canal, 1.5 m wide#Flood #powodź2024 #geohazard #flood2024 pic.twitter.com/al50aZoQGF
— Jarosław Cebulski (@Jarosaw96210555) September 15, 2024
Vienna faces ongoing disruptions
Although water levels in Vienna's rivers have slightly dropped, the capital remains severely affected by the storms.
Several underground lines, including the U2, U3, U4, and U6, were still partially out of service, with Wiener Linien wasn't expecting full operations to resume until Wednesday. Residents were urged to use trams, buses, and other transport options.
Vienna Mayor Michael Ludwig warned of a "second wave" of rain and flooding expected on Monday.
Despite some improvements, power outages continued in parts of Penzing, Landstraße, and Donaustadt, with restoration efforts complicated by ongoing severe weather.
Flood risks heightened by snowmelt
The danger of further flooding remains high across the country, compounded by rising temperatures in the mountains, which are accelerating snowmelt and increasing water flow into already flooded areas.
From South Tyrol through Austria to Lake Constance, with lots of snow in the middle.
— Gockel (@IRLWhiskeyStout) September 15, 2024
???
Von Südtirol durch Österreich bis zum Bodensee, mit viel Schnee mittendrin. pic.twitter.com/vnFQTYrAFC
In Salzburg and other federal states, emergency services are working non-stop to pump out water, clear roads, and distribute sandbags.
READ ALSO: 'Unprecedented situation': Austria hit by torrential rain and floods
What’s next?
Meteorologists forecast that the situation would remain volatile until Wednesday, with the risk of dam breaches also rising. Lower Austria had already seen ten dam failures, and further reinforcements were deployed to stabilise vulnerable areas.
The Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) extended its travel warning until Thursday, advising against non-essential travel. Major rail routes remained suspended. Authorities were on high alert for more rainfall and the potential for additional flooding as the week progresses.
Residents across Austria were advised to monitor updates and follow official guidance, especially in high-risk areas.
Flooding causes widespread damage
The heavy rainfall over recent days has caused significant damage across Austria, with various sectors feeling the impact. In addition to widespread flooding of roads, homes, and agricultural lands, critical infrastructure has also been hit. Several roads, particularly in the Vienna region, were submerged, leading to closures and detours.
The flooding has also severely disrupted public transportation in Vienna. Metro lines, particularly those passing through low-lying areas, have been partially suspended due to water ingress. According to Wiener Linien, the city’s public transport operator, full metro services are not expected to resume until mid-week, as emergency teams work to drain flooded tunnels and ensure the safety of the system.
Agriculture has been particularly affected by the floods, with crops such as maize, soya beans, and pumpkins underwater for extended periods. Farmers are bracing for significant losses, though the full extent of the damage will only become clear once the waters recede, authorities said.
Meanwhile, insurance companies anticipate claims in the millions. Generali Austria reported that the total losses from the recent storm and flooding could run into double digits in the millions of euros, with several thousand claims already being processed.
Graz Wechselseitige Versicherung (Grawe) also expects high losses, but has yet to provide an exact figure. The Austrian Chamber of Agriculture is still assessing the full scope of the damage to the farming sector.
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