Weekend storms wreak havoc in Austria and northern Italy

August 7, 2012 – AUSTRIA - Storms wreaked havoc in Austria and northern Italy over the weekend, causing landslides that killed two people, authorities said Sunday. An 84-year-old woman was killed when a landslide hit a farm in Afens, on the Italian side of the border with Austria. In nearby Tulfer, the body of another woman who had been declared missing after her house was struck by a mud flow was uncovered on Sunday morning. Major storms lashed much of Austria and German-speaking northern Italy late Saturday, causing flooding and power cuts, and disrupting rail and road connections. About 1,000 homes were without electricity Sunday morning in the Virgental valley in southern Austria. In South Tyrol, a northern province of Italy also known as Alto Adige, some 500 emergency workers, firefighters and civil protection officers were mobilized to deal with the damages. The rail line between Austria and Italy over the Brenner Pass was buried by a landslide overnight and was expected to remain shut for two weeks. Road and rail connections were also shut elsewhere in Austria, including in Tyrol, Styria and Salzburg provinces. Most were due to re-open on Sunday but others remained closed due to a further risk of landslides. In Styria, several houses had to be evacuated after they were flooded, and cellars in northern Austria were also filled with water following heavy rain. A few barns meanwhile went up in flames after they were hit by lightning, with over 250 animals perishing at one farm in northern Austria. –Terra Daily