Storm chaos in Linz: increased use and millions of millions!

Storm chaos in Linz: increased use and millions of millions!

Linz, Österreich - In Upper Austria, violent storms have been very demanding the emergency services in Linz since Thursday. The number of fire brigade operations in Linz rose from 182 to 240 in a short time, and the federal state recorded 420 missions at noon. This Situation illustrates the immense burden for the saving forces that are employed with the pumping of cellars and underpasses. Within just three hours, 52 liters of rain per square meter were measured in the region, which led to flooding in several areas. The storms were particularly in the Steyr-Land district, where they started on Thursday evening. Here, 20 minutes were registered with extreme rainfall within 20 minutes. [5min.at reports that ...] (https://www.5min.at/5202507041150/unwetter-vforgers-linzer-linzer-s- Detail-wir--darennen-uns/)

The meteorological effort is not limited to Linz. In Lower Austria, too, a firefighter was injured in a storm operation, and the emergency services in Raabs on the Thaya had to mobilize 32 firefighters per square meter due to 50 liters per square meter in order to carry out exhaust and cleaning work. Here animals were saved from a flooded farm, which underlines the urgency of the missions.

massive damage in agriculture

The storms of the past few days have caused massive damage in agriculture, especially in Upper Austria. According to an estimate, the total damage amounts to 4.8 million euros, whereby the affected cultures include grain, corn, soybeans, and rapeseed. The hail insurance reports on the vulnerability of agriculture to extreme weather, which can lead to considerable damage every year. Overall, the total damage is now 5.9 million euros. In addition, damage can also be determined in some other federal states, such as Burgenland and Vorarlberg. [Nachrichten.at informs about the…] (https://www.nachrichten.at/wirtschaft/landwirtschaft-in-oberoesterreich-48-million-euro-Sshaden- Derwetter ;art15,4062836)

The situation is considered even more urgent if you look at the current climatic status in Austria. The second Austrian status report on climate change shows that Austria heats up faster than the global average. The temperature has increased by about 3.1 degrees Celsius since 1900. This increasingly leads to extreme weather events that affect not only agriculture, but also all areas of life and business. Climate change is therefore not only a future challenge, but is already a real threat to society. [BMLUK.GV.AT emphasizes that ...]

The rapid and serious consequences of these developments require preventive measures as well as an adaptation of our infrastructure and agriculture in order to strengthen resistance to such extreme events. The current storms are an urgent wake -up call to quickly recognize the need for action in climate policy and agriculture and to take measures that bring both ecological and economic benefits.