Severe floods trap locals in Skagafjörður: Witnesses 60-year record event
Stranded: North Iceland Farmers Caught in 60-Year Flood
Life at Ytri- and Syðri-Húsabakki has ground to a halt after the rivers Héraðsvötn and Húseyjarkvísl burst their banks, washing away the only access road.
Last night, North Iceland faced a torrential flood, the worst in six decades, leading to a warning from the National Police Commissioner's Civil Protection Department. The rivers Austari-Jökulsá and Héraðsvötn swelled dangerously, casting a shadow over the Skagafjörður region.
Þorgrímur Ómar Tavsen, a resident of Ytri-Húsabakki, recalled the harrowing experience. "I was on my way home around nine last night, and the road started to worsen. It just seemed to rise-the peak must have hit around four in the morning." By morning, the road was completely submerged.
Fighting the Tide
Despite the water level starting to recede, Tavsen remains doubtful about when they'll be able to leave. "I put a stake in the bank this morning, and by noon, the water had dropped about a foot," he said. When asked about a potential departure, he hinted, "It'll take time-there's just so much water. Perhaps by lunchtime tomorrow, we can check if the road is still there."
A Historically Wicked Storm
Tavsen and his wife have called Ytri-Húsabakki home since 2019, but stories from the community suggest such flooding hasn't been seen in half a century. "It's even worse at Syðri-Húsabakki," Tavsen observed. "Not only the road is flooded, but the barn as well."
Embracing the Solitude
Despite the isolation, Tavsen remains composed and productive. "The quiet here is incredible-it's peaceful," he said. He's taken this unexpected downtime to work on his small boat museum in the barn, set to open to visitors in June. Even amid the chaos, he shared a video of the floodwaters surrounding the farm on the museum's Facebook page this morning.
The Skagafjörður area, already affected by earlier winter flooding that damaged pastures, now faces a daunting recovery process. Emergency responses are underway, but the critical situation calls for patience, understanding, and resilience from the affected communities and authorities alike.
The flooding in North Iceland, a 60-year event, has caused the roads at Ytri-Húsabakki and Syðri-Húsabakki to be submerged, leaving residents stranded.
Þorgrímur Ómar Tavsen, a resident of Ytri-Húsabakki, indicated that the water level had started to recede, yet he remains unsure when they'll be able to leave the area.
Historical accounts from the community suggest such flooding had not occurred in half a century, with the situation at Syðri-Húsabakki being even more severe, as both the road and the barn have been flooded.
In the midst of isolation, Tavsen remains hopeful and productive, using this unexpected downtime to work on his small boat museum, aiming to open it to visitors in June.
