Flood victims in Lower Austria still fear heavy rain two years on

Two years after a devastating flood disaster hit Lower Austria, some damage remains unrepaired and many residents still fear the next spell of heavy rain, ORF reports.

Maria Felbermayer from Mauerbach in the St Pölten district remembers the water rising around her home in September 2024. The normally harmless Mauerbach stream became a raging river, eventually reaching beneath the bed. Felbermayer’s husband uses a wheelchair, and she said the fire brigade arrived only later because the scale of the disaster was unexpected. When she opened the door, a surge of water came towards her.

Entire village evacuated

The situation was also critical in Rust, a village belonging to the municipality of Michelhausen in the Tulln district. The entire village had to be evacuated. Many residents initially believed the worst was over, but the Perschling river embankment then broke.

Martin Stehrlein, who was working as a firefighter at the time, said water surrounded his own house and came from several directions. As the level continued to rise, the pressure damaged gates, basement entrances and doors.

Repairs continue

For many families, the difficult work began only after the water receded. At the Putz family home in Markersdorf in the St Pölten district, water stood around 1.5 metres high in the living room, covering toys and furniture in mud.

Christian Putz said friends and companies helped the family rebuild relatively quickly. But two years later, the basement and facade of his father-in-law’s neighbouring house have still not been fully repaired.

Damage is also still visible at another house in the municipality. The floors were replaced only recently, while door frames have yet to be installed. Doris Schelberger said the damage amounted to about 250,000 euros.

Rain still causes unease

Although many residents have regained some normality, memories of the disaster remain. Schelberger described the period after the flooding as a month of shock and said she initially could not understand what had happened.

Heavy rain immediately brings the flood back to Christian Putz’s mind. Several consecutive days of rain or heavy overnight precipitation still cause unease. In such situations, the family closely monitors water levels and considers what precautions could still be taken in an emergency.

Michelhausen plans 20 million euro flood protection project

Michelhausen was among the hardest-hit areas. The municipality says private homes alone suffered about 27 million euros in damage. Across Lower Austria, the disaster caused more than 1 billion euros in damage.

A new flood protection project is intended to better protect Michelhausen from similar events. It is expected to cost about 20 million euros. Mayor Bernhard Heinl of the Austrian People’s Party said the tender documents were ready, but federal funding approval was still pending and expected the following week. If everything goes according to plan, construction could begin in October.

Since the disaster, 35 flood protection projects in Lower Austria have been completed, with total investment of about 141 million euros, according to a statement from Deputy Governor Stephan Pernkopf, who is responsible for disaster protection. Construction has begun on a further 37 projects worth about 55 million euros, while 32 more are planned.