2018: Ronja Karita Kristensen moves into her own house at Nevermoen just outside Mo i Rana. – I had to manage myself. It felt good and I had been helped to get the best insurances. 21 September 2020: The remnants of tropical storm Sally hit Norway. Norway is divided in two. People become isolated. Houses are razed. With two dogs and 10 chickens, Ronja manages to escape. Since then, life has been a nightmare. – It is completely exhausting. You don’t have free time or surplus. I’m completely done. But Ronja had good insurance – what on earth went wrong? Ronja moved here in 2018. In 2022, living here is a distant dream. Photo: Frank Nygård / news – Suddenly I was in a horror film We rewind time to 2020. Ronja wades around her own house. The water stands a meter up along the walls. – The sofa and all the furnishings were just floating when I came in, she says to news. – I’m just glad I was there and got dogs, chickens and myself out. Otherwise they would have drowned. The dogs swam to the car and were later moved. The hens were carried out to an ambulance. The house was flooded. The same evening the flood receded. The next day, Ronja was greeted by a terrifying sight. – There was nothing to take care of. Now the house is cleaned to the core. Almost only planks remain. In the chaos during the flood, Ronja took this photo. Photo: Privat Showered in minus 20 degrees and skied to the car The flood in 2020 hit several people in northern Norway. For most people, life has returned to normal. But not for everyone. – I just think it’s broken. I can’t plan anything for the future and I’m alone with loans and everything, says Ronja Karita Kristiansen to news. The flood affected several people in Rana in 2020. Lars-Petter Kalkenberg – How has life been after the flood? – I’m at work, but that’s the only thing I can do. This winter there were no houses or apartments to rent, so I had to buy a cabin. Ronja sighs before continuing: – There was no shower, no toilet and no hot water. I showered outside in minus 20 degrees and had to ski a kilometer to the car every day. Ronja bought this cabin for NOK 400,000. She says it was the only option she had to continue living where she wanted. Photo: Private – I’m never going to say that things will work out. It doesn’t work out. Because even though Ronja had good insurance, the house still stands as an empty shell. Can’t move the house The insurance gives Ronja money to repair the destroyed house. But only if she builds it up in the same place, she says. Ronja doesn’t dare. – There will be another flood. We don’t know when, but it will get bigger. Next time there will be a danger to life and health. Ronja believes there will be more floods in the future. Photo: Privat In addition, she says that she was told by the insurance company that she will not be covered for the costs if another flood destroys the house. One possibility is to relocate the house. So build the house somewhere else. It is the Norwegian Directorate of Water Resources and Energy (NVE) that can provide support for such relocation measures. But last week the rejection came. NVE will not grant subsidies for demolition and relocation. – This solution should only be used if it is not possible to use other physical measures or arrangements. In addition, the scheme is linked to human life being threatened, says Mads Johnsen, chief engineer and head of security at NVE. Mads Johnsen says he understands that it is despairing for the flood victims. However, NVE’s measures cannot help them. Photo: news It is Rana municipality that has applied for relocation on behalf of Ronja and three other households. – We have not been able to document a danger to human life in the localities that have been applied for, explains Johnsen. At Nevermoen, where Ronja’s house stands, NVE says that it should be possible to floodproof. Had faith in a splicing team Head of department in Rana municipality, Trude Fridtjofsen, says she understands that this is a difficult situation for those involved. – Two years have passed in which we have tried to figure this out, and we have not yet reached the goal. The solution the municipality had envisioned was a joint venture with the insurance companies. But the splicing team was dependent on the application to NVE being approved. – Then we would have had the opportunity to buy out these residents and the municipality could have taken over the properties and arranged for demolition. But now the refusal is there, so it is not relevant then, says Fridtjofsen. Storm Sally caused flooding in Rana. She says she understands that NVE has limited funds and that they must make assessments based on that. – But this was the opportunity we saw to get this sorted out. The head of department takes note of the fact that NVE concludes that the municipality should rather floodproof the area. – But we have had NVE as a supervisor in this case and have based the application, among other things, on advice from NVE. Calling for an arrangement Like the flood victims, Fridjofsen is frustrated that the case has not progressed further in two years. – Initially, there was talk of this being an insurance matter. Then everyone talked about it being a relocation under the Natural Damage Insurance Act. This never came to fruition. – The insurance companies concluded that the damage to the homes was not so great that the conditions for relocation were met. There was major material damage in connection with the flood in 2020. Photo: Ole-Christian Olsen / news Fridtjofsen says that Rana municipality feels they have spent a lot of time clarifying what the current laws and regulations are. – We have been at it for two years. There has been a lot of uncertainty among all involved about what actually applies. We have contributed to both the state and the insurance industry getting some answers, she says and emphasizes: – But Rana municipality and those affected have achieved very little. For Ronja and the other flood victims, the situation is still hopeless. She hopes this will never happen to others. – Better solutions have to be put in place. There is no doubt that more people in Norway will be affected by such situations due to climate change in the future. ALSO READ:
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Detached houses on Rana were hit by floods – the owners are not allowed to relocate the houses – news Nordland
