Storm chaos in Ferndorf: Thousands without electricity-fire brigade in continuous use!

Storm chaos in Ferndorf: Thousands without electricity-fire brigade in continuous use!

On May 28, 2025, the municipality of Ferndorf, in the village of Politzen in the Villach-Land district, occurred a serious incident when a tree fell on a power line. The sirens sounded in the area and the volunteer fire brigades Ferndorf and Olsach-Molzbichl as well as the police and the disorder service of KNG-Kärnten Netz GmbH were immediately alerted. These emergency services had to shut down the area to help remove the tree and to create access to the damaged electricity pylon, such as [5min.at] (https://www.5min.at/5202505291322/baum-beschaedt- Stromlebung- Feuerwehren-rueckten-aus/)

The situation was particularly tense because violent gusts of wind swept across Carinthia. On the same day, wind peaks of up to 100 km/h were measured, while meteorologist Gerhard Hohenwarter even reported storm tips of 177 km/h. These extreme weather conditions meant that over 200 storm inserts were registered in Carinthia and about 9,000 households without a power supply, reports [meinzirk.at] (https://www.meinbeinbezirk.at/kaernten/c-lokales/ thousands of- Hausstahn-ohnen-strom-In-im-Einsatz_a5853268).

missions and street blocks

The fire brigade Ossiach also had to move out because a electricity mast caught fire in its region after a tree had fallen on a line. Further buildings and streets were affected in Ferndorf and Fresach. Apart from the power failures, residents also had to expect locked access roads. The Drautalbundesstraße was temporarily closed between Stadelbach and Kellerberg, and the connections between Ferndorf and Döbriach were also not passable.

in Ferndorf the municipality was only available via Spittal, while other access roads were blocked due to fallen trees. According to current reporting, around 5,000 households were still without electricity at around 10 a.m. Despite the dangers of falling trees, the local fire departments had to be in use in several districts, including Villach-Land.

Restoration of the power supply

The majority of households could be connected to the power grid again by the evening of May 28th. In many parts of Carinthia, especially in the north, the situation calmed down, while there were still challenges in Ferndorf. The Drautalbundesstraße was accessible again, but the situation in some rural areas remained tense. The more completed information about the weather conditions in Carinthia can be read on the website of uwz.at.

These stormy events and the subsequent support from the local emergency services illustrate the challenges that extreme weather conditions bring and how essential the collaboration of the fire brigade and the technical services is to ensure the security of the citizens.