2023-08-12 05:58:14
What can you do in the long term to fight against floods, mudslides, storms and the like? Mayor Freidrich Flegl has had the municipality of Gaal checked for possible natural disasters. Nevertheless, a residual risk remains. The state of Styria also wants to motivate Styrians to take the initiative with interactive maps and tests.
For Friedrich Fledl, no question about his 1300 inhabitants is too difficult. “I know exactly who is in the fire brigade, where who lives with medical training, and which citizen would actually be willing to help if the worst comes to the worst,” says the mayor of Gaal. Natural hazards check The small town in the Niedere Tauern is one of a total of 65 Styrian communities that have already undergone a so-called natural hazard check of the state. By the end of the year, 15 more municipalities will be added, which means that Styria will play a pioneering role in Austria when it comes to prevention. Subsequently, possible natural hazards, including concrete recommendations for action, will be worked out together with community representatives and emergency services organizations,” says climate protection coordinator Andrea Gössinger-Wieser. According to forecasts, the greatest danger in Gaal is primarily forest fires and flooding. At least you don’t have to be afraid of the former this year: “We had quite a lot of rain, so the drought is over for the time being,” says Fledl. Incidentally, the 67-year-old has no doubt that climate change is driving the potential for natural disasters: “From heavy rain events to hurricane-force storms – the many negative effects can no longer be denied.” half of the country to the disaster area. But the north of Styria has also been hit hard again and again in recent years. “The municipalities of Gasen and Oberwölz/Niederwölz in particular were confronted with enormous damage. In these places, however, we have now succeeded in offering the population the highest level of security with comprehensive protective measures,” says Provincial Councilor Johann Seitinger (ÖVP). Deutschlandsberg protect a good 1000 people and 1039 buildings. Ten million euros are being invested in this, construction of the new retention basin is scheduled to start in 2025 and it should be finished in 2028. Can water leak from manhole covers in the immediate vicinity and flow across the street to my property or building? Have neighbors reported past flood events? Do my children know how to behave in the event of a flood? Every private person can think about the answers to these and many other questions as part of a special check that is intended to show how your own “flood fitness” is. The seven-page questionnaire can be found on the Internet and is primarily used by those who are in are in a danger zone. Under the menu item “Am I at risk” you will also find a lot of other relevant information for a better assessment of the individual danger. For example, you can use the address on interactive maps to find out whether you live in a danger zone and what kind of danger is to be expected. Current weather warnings and the hydrographic situation report can also be found on this service page of the State of Styria. “In the long term However, climate protection and consistent regional planning are the best prevention,” Seitinger sets out a clear direction.
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