Overview
- Late Thursday and into Friday, intense thunderstorms swept Tyrol and Salzburg and caused multiple mudflows that sent mud, rocks and water down steep alpine slopes.
- Rescue helicopters airlifted trapped visitors from mountain sites, with police crews flying six people from a hut above Bad Gastein and evacuating eleven hikers from the Valser Tal.
- The floods and Muren damaged infrastructure, washing out at least one bridge, burying a parking area in the Valser Tal and forcing closure of the Hahntennjoch (L 246) pass for cleanup and repairs.
- Local police, fire brigades and mountain rescue teams report no injuries so far and are focused on clearing debris, rescuing livestock and restoring access to isolated hamlets and trails.
- The storms followed an earlier Central European heatwave and drought this week and may disrupt peak summer tourism while authorities keep flood risk under observation for further heavy rainfall.