The case in summary: • Many farmers who suffered large losses after last year’s extreme weather are still waiting for answers to their compensation applications.• The state natural damage insurance scheme received 1,969 applications as a result of the storm, the highest number since 1995.• The farmers fear that they will have to give up their operations if they will not receive compensation until another extreme weather strikes.• Environmental status states that extreme weather will increase in frequency in the coming years as a result of global warming.• The Directorate of Agriculture has received approx. 2,000 applications as a result of the extreme weather, and as of now there are 1,400 applications that have not received a decision.• The Directorate of Agriculture is working to increase capacity to handle the large number of cases. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. Sheds being transported down overflowing rivers, flooded cities and reports of damage in the millions. Last year’s extreme weather created attention. One of those who suffered greater losses is farmer Bjørn Haugen from Ringebu. – There was damage in connection with the garden plot and the garden path. In addition, he had agricultural land that was destroyed. Haugen estimates that the total loss amount was around one and a half million. Silence from the Directorate of Agriculture In retrospect, he has been covered for what he had insured with private insurance. The case is another with the natural damage insurance scheme which could cover NOK 400,000. There, he is still waiting for a response, more than half a year after he submitted the application. And the applications are many. In January, news was able to report that the state’s natural damage insurance scheme received 1,969 applications as a result of the storm. With this, Hans created the highest number of applications for natural damage compensation since 1995. Therefore, the capacity has also been burst, and several are still waiting for a response. – It is a disaster, says Haugen. Here he grows half of the grass his dairy cows eat. Together with several others, he is also a landowner. Last year there was major damage. Is there a danger to the operation? If there is another extreme weather, this is where it will hit the hardest, says Haugen: – Then I can’t continue. This is the scheme which will provide compensation for damage to objects caused by a natural disaster. The natural damage insurance scheme is managed by the Norwegian Directorate of Agriculture and must insure objects that private insurance does not cover. The damage must be directly caused by a natural accident. Here are some of the laws on compensation for natural damage: § 1. Purpose The state compensation scheme for natural damage aims to provide compensation after a natural disaster so that the injured party can continue their business. § 4. Conditions for compensation Compensation is provided for natural damage that is directly caused by a natural disaster, such as landslides , storms, floods, storm surges, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. § 5. Basis for assessing compensation The compensation is determined on the basis of the cost of necessary measures to return the damaged object to the same condition as immediately before the time of the damage. § 11. Responsible authority The Directorate of Agriculture decides on applications for natural damage compensation in accordance with this act . You can read more on lovdata’s website. Can have serious consequences Hans Kristian Elstad also lives as a farmer at Ringebu and had two-thirds destroyed by Hans. – I don’t dare think about how much money I have lost. He estimates that between 100 and 150 farmers in the municipalities in the middle of Gudbrandsdalen have had problems with payment and communication with the Directorate of Agriculture. He believes that a natural damage insurance scheme that does not work can have serious consequences for operations. – It is almost a year since the flood. We now risk another flood before we even get an answer. Bjørn Haugen believes it is crucial that applications and complaints are not processed in a timely manner. If this continues, he believes that people will have to shut down operations. Photo: Aleksandr Nedbaev / news New extreme weather threatens Environmental status, a website managed editorially by the Norwegian Environment Agency, which shows the state and development of the environment, states that extreme weather will increase in frequency in the coming years as a result of global warming. But it is difficult to predict exactly when extreme weather will strike. State meteorologist Håkon Mjelstad from the Meteorological Institute explains that a possible extreme weather warning will, at best, come one week in advance. – We have no indications that something similar will happen this year. But we must monitor continuously, and try to notify as early as possible. – It is clear that we have to do something Grete Mari Sand, section head for agricultural and natural damage compensation in the Directorate of Agriculture, says that the Directorate has received approx. 2,000 applications as a result of the extreme weather. As of now, there are 1,400 applications that have not received a decision. Sand informs that the scheme was not equipped for the large number of cases that came in last autumn. Therefore, the processing time is over six months. – Are you satisfied with this? – We would have liked to see that the processing time was shorter. 10 per cent of the 600 complaints on which a decision has been made have received complaints. A percentage that Sand can state is roughly the same in more ordinary situations. In an attempt to accommodate the many applications, the section has had three recruitment rounds to get hold of more case managers. – And we are still working on that. So we are steadily increasing capacity here. – In the years ahead, extreme weather will increase in frequency, what will this situation then look like? – It is clear that we have to do something, says Sand. Published 08.07.2024, at 05.04
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Bjørn is still waiting for compensation after “Hans”
