Devastating Storm over Gratsch and Algund
A severe storm with hail and a cloudburst triggered devastating mudslides in Gratsch and Algund. Several farmsteads were destroyed, resulting in fatalities and missing persons, alongside extensive destruction to farmland.
Full transcription
Austrian Monarchy.
Meran, 7 July. A terrible disaster struck the two municipalities of Gratsch and Allgund near Meran at one o'clock this night.
A frightful storm, accompanied by heavy hail and a cloudburst, discharged itself over the two aforementioned villages.
With lightning speed, an earth avalanche rolled down the so-called Kirchergraben, entirely razing the Kircherhof and a neighbour's barn, and burying the fine, fertile fields and vineyards beneath deep mud and a mass of enormous boulders.
Regrettably, the terrible element also claimed several human lives. Four female bodies and two other persons still alive have already been dug out; four men are still missing.
Through great exertion and presence of mind, the owner of the farm managed to save himself from the avalanche that had fallen upon him.
Even more terrifying and extensive, however, is the devastation wrought by the terrible tempest in Allgund. Two houses, namely the Steinhuberhof together with its barn and stables and several head of cattle, as well as the old poorhouse, fell prey to the unsparing element.
The finest vineyards and fields are completely devastated. Fortunately, only a single human life is to be mourned here.
The total damage cannot yet be stated with certainty; however, it surely amounts to a very substantial sum.
The k. k. District Captain – Kopp.
According to private reports, the damage caused by the storm is said to amount to approximately 200,000 florins.
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Notice.
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1850 at a glance
The year 1850 in Merano was marked by significant administrative reorganizations, such as its elevation to the seat of a district authority and the establishment of the first free municipality. At the same time, infrastructure and educational developments shaped the town, while natural disasters like the severe cloudburst in July and a fire in Obermais caused extensive damage. Supra-regional topics, including the arrival of Archduke Rainer and railway planning, were also prominent in the reports. →
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"Devastating Storm over Gratsch and Algund." Der Bote für Tirol, 10 July 1850. https://digital.tessmann.it/tessmannDigital/Zeitungsarchiv/Seite/Zeitung/47/1/10.07.1850/153143/2. https://www.meran-archive.com/en/artikel/1850-07-10-verheerendes-unwetter-ueber-gratsch-und-algund