MJØNDALEN (Dagbladet): – My parents live by the river here, a bit too close now. You get a little worried, Anette Holst told Dagbladet as she stood along the ever-rising Drammenselva.
After two days, “Hans” will disappear. But in the Drammens area, storms can still cause major damage, even days after the rains have stopped.
CONCERN: Anette Holst is worried about her parents’ home, which is located near the banks of the river Drammen in Mjøndalen. Photo: Ola Strømman / Dagbladet
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– It’s kind of reassuring that they put up a flood defense, but I’ve never seen them put up a defense that high. Previously, there were only a few sandbags, but it’s a good thing they took action, said Holst.
Violent speed
At Drammensvassdraget, the water is rising at an extraordinary rate, and at Mjøndalen the river is in danger of overflowing, according to the regional manager of the South Norwegian Water and Energy Directorate (NVE), Elisabet Rui.
– The water will rise by another meter or so, up to about 3.5 meters, if our worst forecast is correct, he told Dagbladet.
Drammensvassdraget is the third largest in Norway, with major branches, including to Hallingvassdraget. Flood warnings have been raised to red in the major town of Drammen, as well as the neighboring town of Øvre Eiker.
INACCESSIBLE: This underpass is completely flooded and people have to choose an alternative way to pass through the main road. Photo: Bjørn Langsem / Dagbladet
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– For now, it is not feasible to evacuate, said Sten Petter Aamodt, emergency manager in the municipality of Drammen.
– Danger to life
Rui said that the water level in the river was already higher than usual, and would continue to rise throughout the day:
– This is equivalent to a fifty year flood, but we don’t have much to compare, as we expect this to be the largest flood Drammensvassdraget has ever seen.
Flooding could have dire consequences in the Mjøndals area, said Rui.
– We are talking about significant damage and potential danger to life and health, he stressed.
The greatest danger may not be the bodies of water themselves, but that water can trigger landslides.
– But it’s also possible that you can get carried away by bodies of water, said Rui.
He warned:
– One should stay away from steep slopes and away from river banks. Following the storm is exciting, but it can quickly become a little too exciting.
Protection
Mjøndalen is one of the towns along the waterway that can experience the most flooding from storms, Rui said.
Several of Norway’s lakes and waterways will experience historically significant amounts of water in the following days, according to the latest estimates from NVE.
The Municipality of Drammen has set up flood defenses along the neighboring settlement of Mjøndalen, Krokstadelva, in preparation for the flood. Authorities said they would consider further action on an ongoing basis.
ACTION: NVE regional manager Elisabet Rui demonstrates a temporary pump house that will divert some of the water mass. Photo: Bjørn Langsem / Dagbladet
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Rui emphasized that major repairs had been carried out in the area after the big “Frida” flood in 2012. Among other things, NVE had built several pumping stations.
– In fact, the whole of Mjøndalen is under water, but we don’t expect that to happen now, because of the measures we have taken, he said – and added:
– This will be the first big test, it will be fun to see if the pumping station will work.
Not sure
After the expansion, the municipality of Drammen includes Mjøndalen. Emergency manager Aamodt assumed the water would “affect the houses along the river”.
– We’re still a little unsure what the consequences will be, because we’ve never had floods of this magnitude before, he said.
During this year’s spring floods, the water level in the river was about 2.5 meters.
– We can do well. But this year there may be an extra meter, so it will be a bit demanding. We are implementing the flood protection we have and securing the areas we have given the highest priority, he explained.
WORK ON BLASTING: Crews worked on blasters to set up flood defenses. Here, professional worker Morten Andersen is at the forefront. Photo: Bjørn Langsem / Dagbladet
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The main challenge for the authorities is how the flooding will affect infrastructure such as water, electricity and roads.
– In addition, we have to ensure that people go to and from their homes, said the emergency manager.
Optimistic
Drammen Mayor Monica Myrvold Berg (Ap) is optimistic about the days ahead, especially because of all the repairs since “Frida” in 2012.
– One thing is for sure: emergency and crisis management has the full picture, and it’s not something that comes out of the blue – so you can control and follow it, says Berg, but emphasizes:
– The important thing is citizens let the professionals do the job and better withdraw. It may seem lonely, but large bodies of water can also be very dangerous.
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