The city of Vienna expects Danube flooding due to the storms

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Heavy rainfall in Austria could lead to flooding in the Danube and, therefore, also in Vienna. The city administration has confirmed that the flood protection team for Vienna’s waterways is ready. Vienna is well prepared for high water levels thanks to the Danube Island and the New Danube.

Kachelmann rages
The flood control center of MA 45 in the intake structure in Langenzersdorf as well as the additional two weirs 1 and 2 on the New Danube will be permanently manned from Saturday morning, it was reported. The Danube Island, with a length of 21 kilometers and a width of about 210 meters, is a massive protective wall that flanks the New Danube as an overflow channel for the main river of the Danube.

Danube Island and the New Danube protect Vienna from flooding
At high water levels, the New Danube relieves the Danube. The New Danube is equipped with 3 weirs. At normal water levels, it is a stagnant body of water. At high water, the weirs are opened. This relieves the mainstream and prevents flooding. From a Danube water level of 5.20 meters at Korneuburg, the weir fields of the intake structure are overflowed and the Danube flood initially flows into the New Danube without any intervention. From a water level of around 6 meters, the weir fields are slowly opened, and the flood water is diverted in a controlled manner.

The dam system in and around Vienna is designed for a flow capacity of up to 14,000 cubic meters of water per second, roughly corresponding to the largest flood ever measured in Central Europe in 1501. It also coped with the extreme floods of 2002 and 2013, leaving the city de facto unscathed. Due to the Danube water flowing into the New Danube, a bathing ban has been declared for the New Danube for water hygiene reasons. The bathing ban is effective immediately.

Danube floods: pontoon bridges, Copa footbridge, and Waluliso bridge retracted
The two pontoon bridges over the New Danube, the Copa-Steg and the Waluliso Bridge, had already been retracted before the weekend for flood protection. The Copa Cruise has also ceased operations, and the ferry boat has been moved to a flood-safe area. Meanwhile, Vienna’s professional fire department recorded more calls than usual on Friday afternoon. These mainly involved fallen trees and water ingress. Fortunately, no people have been injured so far.