2024
Styria flood
Short Description
Detailed Description
Record amounts of precipitation from 12th to 16th of September 2024 resulted in a massive flood event over large parts of Austria. The event was categorised as one of the most severe multi-day events in the measurement history of Austria.
A so-called “Vb low-pressure system” caused the event as it travelled from Italy via Austria toward Eastern Europe. This type of weather condition often brings heavy rain, which can cause flooding.
Large parts of northern Austria had rainfall amounts over 100 mm within those 5 days. The most affected areas were Lower Austria, Upper Austria and Vienna. In some regions such as parts of Lower Austria, between 300 and just over 400 mm rainfall were recorded. That is more than 5.5 times the long-term average monthly rainfall in September.
The intensive and prolonged rainfall quickly led to soil saturation, so that the remaining large rainfall amounts could no longer seep into the soil. This meant that large land areas e.g. agricultural fields were flooded by rainwater. It also rapidly led to runoff and a marked increase in water levels and rivers overflowing their banks. In some places, dam breaches also led to further flooding. It was reported that 9 dams broke and approximately 20 others were damaged.
In Vienna and Lower Austria, several rivers experienced extreme flood peaks with return periods of significantly more than 100 years, as the highest values measured to date were exceeded.
Strong winds also accompanied the heavy rainfall with wind speeds over 100 km/h in some areas, which resulted in fallen trees and further damage beyond flooding.
The event caused widespread damage affecting over 350 municipalities. The disaster affected approximately 21,000 properties, including over 1,000 businesses. The human toll was significant: 2,770 people were evacuated, including 120 by helicopter, 34 people were injured and 5 fatalities were reported. Around 60 municipalities experienced drinking water issues, 20,000 households lost power and 370 roads were closed simultaneously, with 600 closures in total. Approximately 95,000 emergency personnel were deployed to respond to the crisis.
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