Hollersbach: Next “potential danger” by Bach
According to Hollersbach Mayor Günther Steiner (ÖVP), the helpers made good progress with the clean-up work on Saturday in the Grubing district.
However, in the upper reaches of the Grubingbach “there is a massive potential for danger,” said Steiner. “That’s why digging was done at night until 1:00 a.m. so that the Grubingbach didn’t overflow its banks again.” On Saturday night there was renewed rain in the region – even if it was “moderate”, the creek without dredging work burst its banks, added the mayor. The Grubingbach caused the mudflow on Friday night and caused major damage, several houses were destroyed.
Six houses remain closed
The blocking of houses directly on the Grubingbach remains in place, it was decided on Saturday. The 15 residents stayed with relatives. The reason for the closure: The creek is “very heavily embedded by boulders, trees, rootstocks,” said Mayor Steiner.
From Monday, 50 soldiers of the Salzburg pioneers from the Schwarzenberg barracks are to support the clean-up work. The torrent and avalanche barriers will clear wood and debris from the stream next week. Then a decision is made as to which security measures are required immediately and which structures will be permanently necessary.
Hollersbach: Further “potential danger” due to blockages
Lots of work for the helpers
In the pit, excavators have been busy again since the morning hours of Saturday, clearing debris, tree trunks and mud from stream beds and from roads and paths. Around 100 firefighters from all over the Pinzgau also helped where the heavy equipment could not work.
“But we also had parts of the building lying around – roof trusses – and we chopped them up so that the excavators could load them onto the trucks,” said local fire brigade commander Stefan Lerch. “Then dirt comes out, because we also have to clean it up. Then we clean it up with water. We have to bring this water here, because of course we also have to take care of the local drinking water system.
“Solidarity is overwhelming”
There is a lot of support for those affected in Hollersbach, says Franz Josef Stöckl, earthwork contractor and resident in Hollersbach: “The solidarity with us is overwhelming. When you see how the employees feel about the company and help and how the volunteer fire brigades are on duty day and night, that’s really overwhelming. You can only show yourself there.”
The extent of the damage is not yet known – the local people are happy that nobody was injured in the mudslide. The fire brigade’s clean-up work is expected to continue for the whole of next week.
Thunderstorms in the night without serious consequences
Fortunately, the consequences of the thunderstorms on Saturday night were not as severe as feared – also thanks to the firefighters, who recently had a lot to do in Oberpinzgau. The Mühlbach in Bramberg and the Breuergraben in Wald im Pinzgau burst their banks. In Wald im Pinzgau, a mudslide went off exactly in the area where the train station was buried a year ago. This landslide was cleared again by Saturday morning, at 9:00 a.m. the road there was reopened to traffic.
There were a total of around ten missions on Friday evening in Oberpinzgau – in Krimml, Wald and Neukirchen am Großvenediger. In Grödig and Faistenau (both Flachgau), the fire brigade had to be called out because of the thunderstorm – for example because streams burst their banks or to pump out cellars.