Floods trapped locals in Skagafjordur: 60-year record broken
Stranded: Farm Residents in North Iceland Await Road Repairs After Devastating Flood
Life on Syðri- and Ytri-Húsabakki farms in North Iceland has come to a standstill as torrential flooding from Héraðsvötn and Húseyjarkvísl rivers left the roads impassable overnight.
The region's rivers swelled to dangerous proportions, prompting a warning from the National Police Commissioner's Civil Protection Department[1]. The ominous levels of the Austari-Jökulsá and Héraðsvötn rivers loomed large.
Þorgrímur Ómar Tavsen of Ytri-Húsabakki shared his late-night ordeal with mbl.is, recounting how the road started to deteriorate abruptly around 9:30 PM and rapidly worsened. "The water just kept creeping up-by four in the morning, it was fully submerged," he reported.
A Tentative Tomorrow
Although water levels have begun to dip, Tavsen remains cautiously optimistic about when they can hit the road. "I stuck a stake in the bank this morning, and by noon, the water had dropped around a foot," he explained. However, he admits that patience will be key, given the sheer volume of water they're dealing with. "I reckon maybe by lunchtime tomorrow, we'll be able to check if the road is still intact," he said.
Flooding of the Century
Tavsen and his wife have called Ytri-Húsabakki home since 2019, but anecdotal evidence suggests this level of flooding hasn't been seen in over six decades. "It's far worse at Syðri-Húsabakki," Tavsen pointed out. "Not only is the road underwater, but their barn is submerged too."
Creating Amidst Adversity
Despite the isolation, Tavsen remains upbeat and productive. "The peace and quiet here are just breathtaking," he mused. He's been utilizing this unexpected downtime to work on a tiny boat museum in his barn, which he hopes to officially open to visitors in June. He even took to Facebook this morning, sharing a video of the floodwaters lapping at the farm's edge[2].
[1] - https://www.visir.is/frett/inslag/636736/upplosning_austari_jokulsa_okar_fyrir_dri_ar_dag[2] - https://www.facebook.com/samlingslaugshver/posts/3678600733069351[2] - Providing a social media post can add a personal touch to the story, illustrating the resilience of the stranded residents and their determination to make the best of the situation.
- Despite the devastating flooding from Héraðsvötn and Húseyjarkvísl rivers, Þorgrímur Ómar Tavsen of Ytri-Húsabakki remains cautiously optimistic about when he can leave his stranded farm.
- Tavsen and his wife have faced flooding on their Ytri-Húsabakki farm since 2019, but this level of flooding is said to be worse than anything seen in over six decades.
- In the midst of adversity, Tavsen has found motivation to create a tiny boat museum in his barn, opening it to visitors in June.
- Science and environmental-science communities might find this flood event an opportunity to study the impact of climate-change on the weather and the environmental changes in North Iceland.
