Chancellor in the crisis area
Am Chancellor Karl Nehammer arrived in meetings on Friday followingnoonto get a personal impression of the catastrophe.
Onlookers block paths
“Vehicles are always on the emergency routes. Onlookers are driving around somewhere to take photos. We urgently ask you not to do this, it will hinder the emergency services,” said the provisional chief of Arriach, Patricia Regenfelder, on Friday following the meeting of the crisis team in the village of Arriach, cut off from the outside world. Only emergency vehicles are currently allowed to drive on the closed paths around Arriach. This also makes it possible to provide people with the necessities of life. And a passenger transport is planned twice a day via the emergency routes with the help of the fire brigade (every day at 8 a.m. and 7 p.m.). The community has set up a citizens’ hotline where people who need help can call (Tel. 04247/8514). There will also be a town hall meeting at 5 p.m. on Sunday. In the village itself, an association collects donations in order to be able to help quickly and unbureaucratically. From Monday, it is hoped that damage reports will also be able to be received in the community. The Arriach elementary school will remain closed, the children will not have to go back to school until July 8th at the earliest for the distribution of certificates.
Pictures now also show the serious damage caused by the storm in Arriach:
Own contact point
A department has been set up at the Carinthian Chamber of Agriculture to coordinate assistance for farmers affected by the storm disaster. Farmers who need feed or help can report there. It also serves as a contact point for people who can offer food or other help.
For the helpers
Brau Union delivered pallets of beer for the numerous helpers in the affected areas.
Tense situation
The situation is in the municipality of Gnesau following the severe storm from Tuesday to Wednesday still tense. Some houses and farms are still inaccessible, roads have broken away. The fire brigade, army and local people are working flat out to reopen access to the Gorizia region that has been cut off.
progress in power supply
During the course of the day, the Kärnten Netz succeeded in connecting a further 100 households to the power supply. Furthermore, it was possible to start dismantling provisional arrangements and aggregates and erecting new masts. “By the evening we will be able to supply all customers once more, except for a very few farms,” informs Robert Schmaranz from Kärnten Netz regarding current events on site.
Quick help
“Coordinated and fast help is double the help”, with these words provincial councilor Daniel Fellner opened the coordination meeting of the aid organizations in the Carinthian provincial government taking place on Friday. “Carinthians in need” has provided 100,000 euros. The activities of the private institutions are coordinated with those of the state-owned social fund “Help in Special Life Situations” in order to provide the victims with help easily and without major bureaucratic hurdles. The application for this is made using a form which will soon be available in the relevant municipal offices. It is still unclear whether and how much money the injured parties will receive from insurance companies. For this reason, “Kärntner in Not” asks the Kleine Zeitung reader family for support. Deposits can be made to the account below using the password “Unwetter”. With every donation, the amount for the quick help is increased.
Donation account:
BKS Bank
IBAN: AT10 1700 0001 0033 7401
BIC: BFKKAT2K Password: UNWEATHER
This is how the clean-up works
Hundreds of helpers are in the crisis areas. A new disaster train, this time the one from the Spittal/Drau district,
is deployed with almost 160 women and men and 22 vehicles. Progress has been made in restoring the infrastructure. Only a few households were left without electricity. Cell phone worked once more. There were still problems with the water supply, tap water, if available, had to be boiled due to the risk of germs. Progress was made with the road infrastructure, but there are still a few days away from releasing the partially destroyed roads through the neighboring valley and to Arriach for civil traffic.
Civil defense alert partially lifted
The civil defense alarm is to be lifted for parts of meetings today. A continuous one-minute siren will alert the public. The population there would then no longer be asked to stay in the house. From Monday, school and kindergarten operations are to be resumed, “the teaching staff will be looked following by the crisis intervention team and psychologists, especially children and young people have hardly had time to process what they have experienced,” says Kaiser. Work is also being done at full speed to set up at least public transport as far as Afritz; the B98 and L46 will remain closed to private cars. “Countless trucks and excavators are in use, driving over by private cars would be extremely dangerous,” says Provincial Councilor Martin Gruber and Provincial Councilor Daniel Fellner once more reminds us that no civilians should drive into the area to help.
Carinthians in need help
“Carinthians in need” has changed due to the dramatic events decided to provide 100,000 euros for the people affected in the crisis areas. Here once more all data for those who want to donate. In order to ensure coordinated and targeted help, there has been a closer connection with the aid fund of the state of Carinthia for a long time.
Amlach pasta factory ceases operations
Unfortunately, the natural disaster also forces the well-known Amlach pasta factory to close its doors. At the same time, thanks are given to the countless helpers on Facebook.
Extraordinary government session
On Friday, the political course was laid for further action to deal with the crisis following the natural disaster in the neighboring valley. Go to the article with all the details on aid packages here. How much money it will need exactly, however, is still unclear.
Set up a center for volunteers
Since today, Friday, there is a volunteer coordination center. At the entrance to Treffen, volunteers can report to the fire engine with the inscription “Volunteer Help”. You should bring sturdy shoes, work gloves, sun protection and a hat. “This volunteer center is right next to the road from Villach in the direction of Treffen at the riding facility,” says Riepan. The fire brigade coordinates everything there and drives directly to the houses with the volunteers. “Everything is divided up by the fire brigade, who comes to which house and who is needed where. All of this is decided by the emergency services in the coordination center. Please don’t drive your car privately to meetings and the crisis area,” stressed Riepan. “Anyone who wants to help should report to the coordination center and follow the instructions of the fire brigade there.”
Way to Arriach
The civil defense alarm will remain active on Friday, says Bernd Riepan, district captain of the Villach-Land district. Arriach can only be reached by emergency services via an emergency route. “The construction of the temporary road over Himmelberg will take days,” says Riepan. This road is urgently needed to finally get to Arriach with “heavy equipment”. 100 army soldiers are busy restoring the connection to Arriach. Arriach has been isolated from the outside world for three days. In addition to the access road for the heavy equipment, which is urgently needed for clean-up work in Arriach, an attempt is being made to repair the Buchholzer Landesstraße. “So that the commuters can drive out on Monday and the school children can come out with a school bus,” says Christoph Hofmeister, spokesman for the army. “We hope that this will be possible at least until Monday,” says Hofmeister
400 households were without electricity
The big cleanup in the crisis areas in Treffen and Arriach continues. Hundreds of emergency services are on site. In the night on Friday, 400 households were without electricity once more for a short time. “As of Thursday evening, only 100 households were left without power. But at 10 p.m. there was suddenly a disruption and a total of 400 households were affected once more,” reports Robert Schmaranz, responsible at Kärnten Netz. By Friday morning, the power supply was largely restored. “But 150 households still have to get by without electricity,” says Schmaranz. He asks that you contact us immediately if the power goes out. Central network control center: 050/5256692.
Internet works once more in Arriach
Arriach can still only be reached by helicopter, the construction of a temporary road from Himmelberg will take a few more days. For emergency services, however, there is an emergency route through which the people are cared for. The telecommunications network has also been working once more since Friday, reports provisional head of office Patricia Regenfelder. In addition to the residents themselves, 30 holiday guests are also included. “Relatives tried desperately to reach the guests. But we can reassure them: There are no reports of personal injury, everyone is fine,” says Regenfelder. Residents and vacationers are supplied from the air and via the emergency route. The municipal office, the Adeg market and Iris Pilgram’s doctor’s office are open. “The Adeg market also takes orders. It may take a little longer than usual, but Rewe delivers goods via emergency channels. And our doctor also organizes medication.”
Flight over the disaster area
From the air, the extent of the disaster in the neighboring valley is clear. The Kleine Zeitung was allowed to fly over Treffen and Arriach in the police helicopter. They are incredible images.
Emergency aid for storm victims
The Chamber of Labor (AK) Carinthia also wants to help the victims of the storm. You can now apply for an interest-free special loan of EUR 20,000 with additional non-repayable emergency aid of EUR 1,500. AK President Günther Goach in a broadcast on Thursday: “We offer our members quick financial and legal help in the event of a disaster!”
roadblocks
sea Antenna Carinthia The following roads are currently closed:
Rückblick
Read here what’s on Wednesday and what on Thursday happened.