Floodings in Austria
Despite an increase today (Fri) the water level in the Danube around Vienna is stable, officials have said.This morning the level rose to 6.50 metres from 6.45 yesterday and danger of flooding is expected if it reaches seven metres.But the citys Emergency Flood Service has said Vienna should escape due to its “relief channel” (Entlastungsgerinne), built to prevent floods by having more space for the water to spread to.They added that the floodgates of the New Danube have been open since Thursday.Water levels are expected to drop during the course of today with rivers such as the March which flow into the Danube expected to carry less water on Saturday which should end the flood danger, ORF said today (Fri).But other parts of Austria have been hit harder with Western Austria seeing thousands help clear hundreds of flooded cellars.The worst rain was in Tyrol yesterday (Thu) and Corpus Christi processions had to be cancelled in Innsbruck and in Kössen, in the Kitzbühel district in Tyrol, and a country road was swept away.In Ebnit in the Dornbirn district in Vorarlberg, 100 cubic metres of mud slid into a valley in an avalanche.Parts of the inner city of the town of Schärding in Schärding district, Upper Austria were flooded when the River Inn rose 70 centimeters per hour between Wednesday night and noon on Thursday.In Schärding water levels in the Traun and Enns rivers rose threateningly and the German-Austria border in Ettenau, district Braunau, Upper Austria, was closed.In Ostermiething, district Braunau, Upper Austria, the water rose so high that some houses were only accessible by boat.In the county of Styria 350 helpers were constantly on call and in the Liezen district, cellars had to be pumped out and roads had to be cleared from avalanches.In Salzburg it rained up to 90 litres per square metre in 24 hours from Wednesday to Thursday and more than 1,000 firefighters have been on duty since Wednesday night.In Lower Austria the B 3 road in Wachau has been closed since 5pm on Thursday when the Danube went over the critical level of 7.8 metres.