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Due to the current flooding situation, the Vienna River is at risk of overflowing its banks.
The flood caused by the severe weather has also reached the federal capital. The Wien River recorded a water level of 2.26 meters at the Kennedy Bridge on Sunday at 9:00 AM. The day before, it was 50 centimeters at the same time. At noon, the Wien River threatened to overflow in additional areas, after flooding had already occurred in Penzing during the night into Sunday and in the early morning hours. For safety reasons, there were closures on the Western Motorway.
Specifically, the entrance and exit of the West Highway in the area of Hütteldorfer Bridge to Deutschordenstraße have been closed until further notice. “To avoid hindering emergency services, we urgently ask the public to stay away from this area for their own safety.” “Please refrain from traveling in the direction of the west until the situation has calmed down,” appealed Thomas Kozuh-Schneeberger, the spokesperson for MA 45 (Vienna Waters), to the public. In an explanation to the APA, Kozuh-Schneeberger stated that the retention basins for the Vienna River are now full. These are located in the Auhof area and are intended to absorb water masses flowing from the surrounding region towards the city. “The Wien River now flows unabated into the city centre,” described Kozuh-Schneeberger.
Relaxation is in sight: “In the afternoon, the precipitation is expected to ease.” It is currently unclear whether there will be further evacuations: “We are in close contact with the fire department.” The quay at the Wien River near Hütteldorf has been closed, according to eyewitnesses.
First floods
Initially, the Wien River in Penzing overflowed its banks in the area of Ludwiggasse and flooded houses. Some buildings can only be reached by boat now. As the professional fire department reported, people were evacuated in the early morning hours. According to Gerald Schimpf, the spokesperson for the Vienna Fire Department, “a handful of houses” directly along the Vienna River were affected. The people living there have mostly found private accommodations. That they will be able to return to their homes soon is not very likely, Schimpf said in a conversation with APA. “It is not to be expected that the water will recede.” Schimpf stated that further evacuations in the urban area cannot be ruled out.
In the far part of Penzing, in Hadersdorf-Weidlingau, several streets were submerged under up to a meter of water. On Sunday morning, firefighters from the city of Vienna were stationed at the S-Bahn station Wien—Weidlingau in case people needed to be evacuated from the houses along the Vienna River.
The power supply was interrupted on Sunday morning in three districts of Vienna—specifically in parts of Penzing, Landstraße, and Donaustadt. Vienna Networks announced this. “We are continuing to work on the resolution to restore the supply quickly,” stated the energy provider’s website.
Public Transport Chaos
The scenario also had repercussions on public transport. The Vienna Lines had to significantly restrict their subway operations. The Vienna River had already reached a critical water level during the night. The water level in the Danube Canal also rose significantly. The Vienna Lines felt compelled to implement extensive protective measures on various subway lines. The endangered subway lines were protected from the encroaching water with flood barriers and sandbags. The subway service had to be partially suspended. Additionally, the tunnel excavation work at the U2 construction site at Pilgramgasse had to be halted due to the critical water level. All the workers left the construction site in an orderly manner. “The impact of the flooding on other construction sites of the Vienna Lines is currently not foreseeable.” “However, further impacts are to be expected,” said Andrea Zefferer, spokesperson for Wiener Linien, to APA.
The U4 only operated between the stations Heiligenstadt and Friedensbrücke, while the U6 was temporarily routed between Floridsdorf and Westbahnhof, as well as between Meidling Station and Siebenhirten. The U3 was suspended between the stations Rochusgasse and Simmering. “Please divert to other lines as much as possible,” requested the Vienna public transport authorities to users.
On the U4 line, a replacement bus service has been established between the stations Hütteldorf and Karlsplatz. The stops can be found in the WienMobil app under “OperationalInfo”—”Planned”—”U4Flood.” Additionally, tram line D is still available between Heiligenstadt and Karlsplatz. As a substitute for the U6, tram line 62 has been extended – it will temporarily operate on the route Lainz – Meidling Station and the subway stations Margaretengürtel – Westbahnhof – Burggasse.
In the morning, part of the U2 line also had to be closed. Since then, she has only been travelling between Seestadt and Taborstraße. The station Schottenring, located on the Danube Canal, and the station Schottentor/University will not be serviced. The Vienna Lines recommend using tram lines 1 and 71 as an alternative.
The continuous rain and partial hurricane-force winds challenged the emergency services of the Vienna Professional Fire Department. In the last few hours, more than 1,100 operations have been carried out in the city of Vienna. Dangerous situations had to be eliminated in the area of the Wien River and the Liesing Stream. One-half of the bets were due to the rainfall, the other half to the storm. Uprooted trees and broken branches had to be removed, and water ingress into buildings, basements, and underground garages had to be addressed.
“Especially the rising levels of the Vienna River and the Liesing Stream continue to pose dangers in this area,” said fire department spokesman Gerald Schimpf. The fire department is still expecting a very high volume of operations and has called in additional personnel, Schimpf said. “Today, avoid unnecessary trips or stays outdoors and keep away from flood-prone waters,” he appealed to the reason of the Viennese population.
A spokesperson for MA 45 (Vienna Waters) confirmed to APA that the situation at the Wien River in the outer city area is critical. One should monitor the situation and remain in constant contact with the crisis team in order to possibly take further measures, as stated. Roadblocks are not ruled out.
According to the spokesperson, the situation at the Danube, the New Danube—which serves as a relief channel—and the Danube Canal is under control. At the New Danube, certain areas are indeed flooded, but this is intended during flood events. The situation at the Liesingbach in the south of the city is, according to the spokesperson, not problematic for the time being regarding the water level.
- with reports from APA/oe24.at/pictures: wetteronline.at
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