Severe Weather Strikes Communities in Waidhofen a.d. Thaya District

A severe weather event characterized by hail and significant rainfall impacted several communities in the Waidhofen a.d. Thaya district on Easter Monday evening. Reports from the district fire command indicate that basements and streets were inundated, with water entering residential properties. In some areas, ice accumulation on roads caused vehicles to become stranded, leading to traffic disruptions.

Emergency services, comprising 165 firefighters, were engaged in operations throughout the night, although no injuries were reported.

The intense storm front swept through the Waldviertel district shortly after 7:00 PM, affecting towns such as Waidhofen a.d. Thaya, Waidhofen a.d. Thaya-Land, Thaya, Kautzen, Dobersberg, and Raabs a.d. Thaya. Fire brigades were dispatched to address reports of flooded basements, muddy roads, and dislodged manhole covers. The primary focus for emergency response efforts was the municipality of Thaya, where significant ice accumulation obstructed drainage channels, preventing rainwater from flowing away and transforming numerous streets into raging streams.

In the village of Großgerharts, ice layers reached heights of up to half a meter, while in Buchbach, located in Waidhofen an der Thaya-Land, heavy rainfall and small hail fell within minutes. Private rain gauges recorded measurements exceeding 40 liters per square meter in just 25 minutes, according to fire department sources.

The deluge of water, mud, and debris surged from surrounding fields into the village, threatening to inundate residential properties, while a state road was partially rerouted due to flooding. In Merkengersch, within the municipality of Dobersberg, a basement was flooded, causing a heating oil tank to float. The B36 road was temporarily flooded, necessitating intervention from local emergency services. In Riegers, crews worked to clear a state road of mud and debris.