Violent storms rage in Tyrol: trees fall on cars and houses!

Violent storms rage in Tyrol: trees fall on cars and houses!

Schwaz, Österreich - violent storms today have a firm grip on Tyrol. Storm gusts, heavy rain and hail, which came up to five centimeters of granules, left a trace of devastation in many regions in the country. The Schwaz district is particularly affected, where fallen trees not only left free landscapes, but also crashed into a moving car and a house, which luckily ended without injuries. At 3:30 p.m., a storm moved over the Pill municipal area, where a tree fell onto a car driving uphill while another tree damaged a house roof. Reports on flooded basements in Fügen in the Zillertal have also been received. In the adjacent stuff, the place was hit by a hailstorm that colored the streets white, which was recorded in pictures on social media.

The effects of the storms are not limited to Tyrol. tirol.orf.at also reports on other affected areas in which similar events took place. Such weather extremes are not new: in 2023 they caused damage of over one billion euros in Austria. Storms, hail, floods from heavy rain and even dryness have distorted the balance sheet. Rémi Vrignaud, the President of the Austrian Insurance Association (VVO), emphasizes that extreme weather events are increasingly becoming "new normality".

The dimension of the weather extreme

The terrifying numbers continue. In 2023 there were a total of 12,478 weather warnings of the highest warning levels in Austria, which illustrates the urgency of the situation. Almost every community was affected, be it due to red or orange warnings. Andreas Schaffhauser from Geosphere Austria emphasizes the need to protect the population. Climate change does the rest: A survey by the Board of Trustees for Road Safety (KFV) shows that 69% of Austrians take the increase in natural disasters due to climate change.

The calculation of the damage caused by storms and other climate -drawn extreme events is alarming. According to the expected estimates, the insurance industry will again have to expect record damage for 2024. The AMAS project, which has been running in Salzburg since 2023, aims to promote cooperation between different institutions in order to get a better overview of the current weather conditions. It should also start in Styria in February 2024.

What's next? The company faces the challenge of taking prevention -oriented measures in order to counter the dangers of climate change. Infothek.bmimi.gv.at states that 79% of the respondents are willing to avoid certain amenities in order to brake climate change. This shows that there is awareness of the problem. It remains to be hoped that this willingness will be implemented in concrete measures to minimize future damage.

The impressive April storms are a warning signal for many. It says, on a small way: have a good hand to respect nature and adapt to its strength.