Severe Weather in Tyrol: Around 200 Day-Trippers Evacuated by Helicopter from the Kaunertal

Around 200 people who had come to the Kaunertal for day trips were no longer able to leave the area near the Italian border. They had to spend the night in a mountain shelter and a mountain restaurant, according to a statement. Around ten people had already been airlifted out on Sunday for medical reasons, said Elmar Rizzoli from the Tyrolean Crisis Center: „Rund zehn Personen seien bereits am Sonntag aus medizinischen Gründen ausgeflogen worden, sagte Elmar Rizzoli vom Tiroler Krisenzentrum."

At the beginning of the week, two helicopters were deployed to bring the stranded excursion tourists out of the Kaunertal. The Ministry of Defense stated that the Austrian Armed Forces had carried out evacuation flights for the stranded individuals. In total, around 200 tourists had to leave the area by helicopter.

Weather Warning for Tyrol

The state meteorological institute Geosphere Austria warned of further thunderstorms in Tyrol. „Das staatliche Meteorologie-Institut Geosphere Austria warnte vor weiteren Gewittern in Tirol." From the afternoon onwards and on Tuesday, there could be, among other things, small mudslides and local flooding, as well as disruptions on roads and railways.

The Kaunertal Glacier Road is a popular excursion route that winds through numerous hairpin bends into high alpine terrain at around 2,750 meters above sea level. During sudden heavy rainfall, as occurred over the weekend, there is an increased risk of mudslides on steep slopes. According to the crisis center, the emergency services had already begun preparing the evacuation on Sunday evening.

Deployment of the Armed Forces

The Armed Forces in Austria are also responsible for domestic disaster relief and have their own helicopters, which are used for such rescues in inaccessible terrain. According to the Ministry of Defense, the evacuation of the around 200 people was carried out in coordination with the Tyrolean authorities and the state's crisis center.

The authorities recommended that residents and tourists heed the issued warnings and not venture into endangered slope areas. Flood warnings were also temporarily issued along other waterways in Tyrol. The Glacier Road initially remained completely closed until clearance crews had removed the debris and mud from the road.

Following the completion of the evacuation on Monday, calm gradually returned to the Kaunertal. The people accommodated in the mountain shelter and the mountain restaurant were able to leave the valley by helicopter during the course of the day on Monday. According to the authorities, no one was injured; the damage to the road was recorded and is to be repaired in the coming days.