After days of heavy rain, Norway braces for extra flooding

By Jan M. Olsen | Related Press

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Rescuers on Thursday evacuated inundated areas of southeastern Norway and residents braced for extra landslides and flooding as rivers swollen by days of heavy rain carried giant quantities of water by the mountainous panorama.

Individuals residing close to waterways have been moved to security, taking their belongings from their properties and transferring their automobiles to greater floor. Helicopters have been on standby to assist transfer individuals out of distant areas whereas volunteers assisted in cities like Hønefossen.

The Begna river, which runs by the city, had gone over its banks Thursday and due to concern of landslides, the municipality introduced an evacuation. Some 200 individuals have been taken in buses to a close-by resort, aided by individuals from the Purple Cross and the civil protection.

“Darn, that is unhealthy. I don’t assume everybody understands how a lot water we’re speaking about. The height is much from being reached. Extra is to come back when the locks are opened,” Tone Velo, an area resident, wrote on Fb.

Authorities didn’t present a nationwide depend of evacuees, however Norwegian broadcaster NRK mentioned it was as much as at the least 4,000.

The preliminary injury estimate was at 1 billion kroner (almost $100 million), in response to the Norwegian Pure Perils Pool, an insurance coverage regulator.

“We count on way more injury stories sooner or later,” spokeswoman Stine Neverdal mentioned, stressing the figures have been preliminary.

Though the rain has principally stopped, authorities say the flooding is anticipated to proceed till at the least Friday. Main roads and practice strains have been more likely to be closed for days.

The catastrophic flooding, among the many worst within the Scandinavian nation in recent times, was triggered by days of heavy summer season rain.

In 2020, 10 individuals have been killed in a landslide in Ask, a village north of Oslo, in one of many worst landslides in Norway’s trendy historical past. A landslide within the central a part of the nation in 1893 killed 116 individuals.

On Wednesday, a dam partially burst after Norway’s largest river spilled over and broke by the construction. Downstream communities had been evacuated and no casualties have been reported. Police mentioned the state of affairs on the dam was being repeatedly assessed however as of Thursday it now not deemed crucial.

There had been fears {that a} practice bridge over the Lågen River would collapse due to the big quantity of water, however railway officers mentioned Thursday that it was now steady. All site visitors throughout the bridge was halted Monday.

For the primary time in 35 years, the favored Peer Gynt open-air pageant will finish two days early, on Friday, due to the flooding, in response to its chief govt, Could Brit Støve.

The nine-day occasion options dance, concert events, artwork exhibitions and extra and is held in a picturesque valley close to Lillehammer, which hosted the 1994 Winter Olympics. The pageant has been held since 1989.

Storm Hans battered northern Europe beginning Monday, inflicting injury and disruptions in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia. Ferries have been canceled, flights have been delayed, roads and streets have been flooded, individuals have been injured by falling branches and hundreds remained with out electrical energy. Southeastern Norway was significantly badly affected.

Norway’s appearing police chief Håkon Skulstad mentioned “the state of affairs is severe and consistently creating.”