337 Million Euros in Flood Relief Paid Out to Lower Austria
There have been more than 19,700 cases of damage, announced Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner and Deputy Governor Stephan Pernkopf (both ÖVP) on Friday. "All applications received by the disaster fund have been processed, with occasional supplements still being submitted to the authority."
According to Mikl-Leitner and Pernkopf, the majority of the funds went to families, with about ten percent of the applications coming from businesses. Many organizations and clubs were also affected by the flood, from the fire station and rescue base to the football field and music hall. Approximately 4.8 million euros in aid were disbursed to 167 clubs.
Expansion of Flood Protection Facilities to be Intensified
In parallel, the expansion of flood protection facilities will be intensified, explained Pernkopf. Immediate measures have been taken at around 100 protective facilities because the flood, for example, tore down dams or eroded riverbanks. Examples of this include Traisen, Pielach, Melk, and the Rußbach. "Dams will be strengthened and improved over 170 river kilometers, and there will be 25 additional measures on torrents against flash floods and landslides," Pernkopf continued. A resolution by the state parliament also allows for 70 flood protection projects to be realized with 60 million euros.
The large investments of recent years and decades have prevented even more massive damage, which experts from TU Wien and BOKU would confirm, emphasized Mikl-Leitner. "That's why we continue to invest in flood protection and also in the expansion of water level measurement stations."
State Fire Brigade Commander Dietmar Fahrafellner recalled about 27,000 operations. The helpers provided one million hours of service.
(APA/Red)
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