By Jan M. Olsen | Associated Press
In southern Norway, heavy rain in the mountainous region caused landslides, flooding, and the partial bursting of a dam, leading to the evacuation of downstream communities. Initially, authorities considered detonating part of the dam at the Braskereidfoss hydroelectric power plant to prevent flooding but ultimately decided against it when the water broke through the structure.
Police spokesman Fredrik Thomson stated, “We hope that we will get a gradual leveling of the water and that we will get an even leveling.”
The power plant located on the Glåma River, the longest and most voluminous river in Norway, was submerged and non-operational.
Thomson revealed that massive volumes of water were pouring over the western area of the concrete dam.
For several hours, water accumulated behind the dam until it flooded a nearby parking lot and created a gap in the concrete. The rushing water destroyed a two-lane road and the fence atop the dam.
Thomson informed reporters, “The water has gradually begun to seep through the side of the dam, and, as of now, it is not appropriate to take any measures at the power plant.” They are continuously assessing the situation.
“The damage from a possible explosion of the concrete plant would be so great that it would serve no purpose,” said Thomson, dismissing the idea of detonation.
Hafslund Eco’s spokesperson, Per Storm-Mathisen, mentioned that the water diversion seemed to be going well, according to the Norwegian news agency NTB.
All residents in the surrounding communities, approximately 1,000 people, were evacuated prior to the dam’s failure.
However, the hatches in the hydroelectric power plant failed to open as designed, allowing excess water to accumulate. The reasons for the failure remain unknown, according to Alexandra Bech Gjørv, board chair at Hafslund Eco.
In other news, a Norwegian woman in her 70s lost her life after falling into a stream. Due to the floods, the rescue took several hours before she could be transported to a hospital.
More than 600 people were evacuated in a region north of Oslo, and the situation was described as “unclear and chaotic” in southern Norway, according to the police. The Norwegian Public Roads Administration announced the closure of all main roads between Oslo and Trondheim, the country’s third-largest city.
Innlandet country Mayor Aud Hove stated, “We are in a crisis situation of national dimensions. People are isolated in several local communities, and the emergency services risk not being able to reach people who need help.”
A weather system known as Storm Hans has wreaked havoc in Scandinavia and the Baltics, causing overflowing rivers, road damage, and injuries from falling branches.
While scientists have not yet conducted the necessary data analysis to determine the influence of human-caused climate change on the flooding, they have long predicted that as the planet warms, extreme storms will produce greater amounts of rain in shorter periods. The ability of warmer air to hold more water and changes in the jet stream may be contributing factors to these phenomena.
Southern Norway and central Sweden were expected to receive more heavy rain, resulting in the flooding of sheds, small houses, and mobile homes.
Norwegian meteorologists forecasted up to 30 millimeters (1.2 inches) of rain by evening, warning of potential consequences given the area’s conditions.
In the neighboring Swedish city of Goteborg, large sections of the harbor were underwater.
Extreme warnings were issued by the weather agencies of both countries, emphasizing the seriousness of the situation and the potential for significant consequences and damage.
Meteorologist Erik Hojgard-Olsen described the weather as unusual for this time of year, noting the prolonged duration of the low-pressure system known as Hans that has been causing heavy rain for several consecutive days.
The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate upgraded their warnings for floods and landslides from orange to red in parts of southern Norway. Record high flood levels were recorded in several locations within the Drammensvassdraget, a drainage basin near Oslo.
Erik Holmqvist, a senior engineer at the agency, shared that the last forecast for the Randsfjorden, the fourth-largest lake in Norway, comparable to the current situation, dates back to 1910.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre visited the affected areas and acknowledged the challenge of water evacuation once the rain ceases.
Associated Press Science Writer Seth Borenstein in Washington contributed to this report.
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