Documentation of historical floods in Lower Austria prior to instrumental hydrographic records

Instrumental water level and discharge measurements in Lower Austria for medium-sized and smaller rivers only date back a little over 100 years. Historical flood statistics are therefore limited in time, which seems insufficient, especially in times of climate change with predicted more frequent and larger extreme floods. For individual rivers, historical floods have been documented and analyzed on the basis of local chronicles and flood marks (see, for example, the work of Heinz Wiesbauer). However, it can be assumed that many documents on historical floods prior to instrumental measurements have not yet been collected and consistently evaluated. The aim of the project is to collect and process information on historical floods in Lower Austria prior to the start of instrumental hydrological recordings. The surveys focus on flood marks, but written sources and historical literature will also be collected and evaluated.