Civil defense alarm in Gschnitz: Storm floods the community and takes a toll!

Civil defense alarm in Gschnitz: Storm floods the community and takes a toll!

The weather continues to cause unrest in the Austrian Alps. There is currently alarming news from the Gschnitztal in Tyrol. A violent storm triggered a civil defense alarm there. On June 30, 2025, parts of the Gschnitztal were hit by massive flash floods, flooding numerous houses and throwing the region into turmoil. The 5min reports on a Gschnitzbach that has overflowed its banks, flows violently through the valley and has maneuvered the community of Gschnitz into a dangerous situation.

Late on Monday afternoon there were several mudslides in Gschnitz and Neustift in the Stubaital. Gschnitz is particularly affected, where the authorities informed about the impending danger of further landslides and floods via cell phone alarms and civil defense warnings, according to Die Presse. 150 people are now trapped in the Gschnitztal, while residents of the mill village were evacuated with a police helicopter as a precaution.

The location on site

The weather shows its merciless side. The population in Gschnitz was asked to stay within their own four walls and retreat to higher floors. Among other things, the underground car parks and cellars were classified as unsafe places, and staying along the Gschnitzbach should also be urgently avoided. Mayor Andreas Pranger emphasized the importance of such precautionary measures and called on people to pay particular attention to the dangers of mudslides and landslides that have already occurred near the Maria Schnee parish church. A video showing the dramatic situation is already in circulation and shows how quickly the situation can change.

Tyrol's crisis manager Elmar Rizzoli is in close contact with the emergency organizations. The fire brigade, rescue services and police are in constant operation, supported by the “Libelle” helicopter. The Federal Ministry of the Interior plays a central role in coordinating and monitoring the situation. It ensures the rescue and safe evacuation of those affected and is in constant communication with the state warning and situation center in Innsbruck.

In this critical phase, it is reassuring to hear that no injuries or burials have been reported so far. The security forces are doing everything they can to keep the situation under control. However, the neighboring regions such as Fügen before this event suffered from similar weather conditions and damage from torrents with hailstones that had previously caused great damage.

A look into the future

The crisis team will closely monitor developments in the Gschnitztal in order to react in a timely manner to new threats. It remains to be hoped that the weather conditions will improve and there will be no further mudslides. We will keep an eye on the situation and inform the population of further developments.