Vienna under water: Historical floods demands comprehensive measures!

Vienna under water: Historical floods demands comprehensive measures!

A event that forms for the history of Vienna took place in September 2024 when the Vienna river became a raging body of water due to massive rainfall in the region. Within just three days it rained as much as normally in a whole autumn. According to the city administration, the amount of water was sufficient to produce a raging flood, which is classified as a thousand -year floods. Gerald Loew, head of the Viennese waters, reported that the theoretical preparations of his team were exceeded by the force of nature violence. "The facilities are good, but it was surprising that the water would climb so quickly," said Loew.

The damage in the city is enormous and the repairs will take years. Critical infrastructural elements such as the subway lines U2, U4 and U6 were only operational for four days during the flood situation, since they tried to defend themselves against the floods with wooden boards and sandbags. Some subway stations even had to be blocked to prevent worse things. In order to prevent similar disasters in the future, the city of Vienna is planning new flood protection measures. Among other things, a 350 meter long flood protection wall between the Czedik- and Ludwiggasse is built. This was necessary to offer residents and the infrastructure additional protection.

renovation measures and investments

The city administration immediately started the gripping work after the flood. In addition, comprehensive renovation measures on the Auhof Basin, an essential component of Vienna's flood protection, are necessary. These pools are renovated and the military walls are increased by one meter to increase their capacity and to be better prepared for future flood events. The restoration of historical structures is also intended to ensure that flood protection remains at a high level.

In addition to the technical improvement of flood protection, it is also used to raise awareness of the population. "We have to raise awareness of strong weather events so that everyone can protect themselves," said Loew. The Vienna river, which usually flows as a contemplative small trickle, has proven to be a serious threat by the extreme - a lesson that the Viennese are not forgotten. As ORF reports , flood management will be traded as a success model that will require continuous investments in the future to guarantee the city's security.

The increase in flood protection and the planned investments are essential steps to address the challenges through extreme weather events, as in a further analysis of Wien.gv.at in detail. It is clear: Vienna has to prepare, because nature cannot be stopped.