The case in summary One year after the extreme weather “Hans”, 17 flood victims are still living in temporary housing in Nesbyen, unsure of when they can move home. The flood caused extensive damage, and many of the victims have not yet received an answer from the municipality about when or if they can rebuild their homes. The extreme weather led to record-high natural damage compensation of over NOK 2 billion, according to the Norwegian Nature Damage Pool Several of the flood victims express frustration at the long-term process and the mental strain it entails. Mayor Anne Kari Eriksen expresses understanding for the residents’ frustration and hopes that more people will get answers during the autumn. The municipality is working to protect the residents against future floods. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – It has been absurd. Weird. Stressful. I have been waiting for clarifications from the municipality and the insurance company, so … it has been a strain, sighs Tore Blyverket. Waiting to move back home to the house in Nesbyen after the ravages of the flood, he has been living at the workshop for the past year. – I have made myself a room in a barracks. I have what I need. But it won’t be like having a house. It is amputated. An amputated life, he says and puts on a mournful smile. – Then I had a heart attack which can certainly be traced to this experience. The extreme weather flooded Tore’s house, and the house was completely damaged. Months passed, but no response from the municipality came. A year later, the plot is just as abandoned. Tore still does not know if he will be allowed to come home. Billionaire compensation after the extreme weather The extreme weather “Hans” brought an end to large parts of south-eastern Norway in the summer of 2023. Floods, floods and landslides made several homeless. Many have had to build and move back home. Many don’t. In Nesbyen alone, 17 “flood refugees” still live in suitcases. Nesbyen was hit hard by the extreme weather “Hans”. Photo: Thomas Mørch Natural damage compensation for buildings and contents reached a record high last year, and “Hans” alone accounted for over NOK 2 billion. This is shown by figures from the Norwegian Nature Damage Pool. From 7 to 25 August, 6,809 insurance claims were reported from the valleys in Innlandet and the municipalities on Hadeland as well as municipalities south towards the Oslo region. Homeless and helpless – It’s tiring to go like this. It is not only this that stops. Everything else comes to a standstill too, says Dan Johansen Lundahaug, another Norwegian who felt the power of extreme weather. Dan Johansen Lundahaug lost everything in the flood. Photo: Lykke Frida Synnøve Høyås / news He has a four-acre plot with a large house, double garage and workshop. The flood took everything – and he still doesn’t know what’s going on. Or when. – We don’t know where this will end, whether we will lose many millions or whether things will work out somehow. It seems hopeless no matter which way it goes, says Lundahaug. Magnus Brennhovd bought a house for the first time last summer. Within two weeks, he had to evacuate his home twice, and move in with his parents. Today he is still homeless and helpless. – The time after the flood has been difficult. A lot of work in the house, in the hood. It’s still eating away. Very annoying that the problem has not been solved. Photo: Frida Synnøve Høyås / news – No, there is not much left of the house. About just the travel industry, he says if it were to become his dream house. The waiting and the uncertainty eat away. – It is mainly the municipality that works very slowly. I think all of us who are left behind and haven’t received an answer are really really pissed off, he says and continues: – Mentally, it’s really tiring, keeping track of insurance and everything like that. We just wait and wait and wait. Now a year has passed. The water was up here, Magnus shows. Photo: Frida Synnøve Høyås / news Difficult ground conditions mean it takes time Anne Kari Eriksen is mayor of Nesbyen. She says that she understands that today is a tough day for many of the residents. – I feel very much for those who still haven’t been allowed to move home or rebuild their houses, she says seriously before repeating: – I feel very much for them. Mayor of Nesbyen, Anne Kari Eriksen, hopes the residents will soon get answers. Photo: Frida Synnøve Høyås / news – What is it like to be in, essentially, the same situation as a year ago? – When I took office as mayor in October last year, I had expected that much of this would be resolved within months. NVE is the professional expertise. They have had to spend time, and there are difficult ground conditions down at Nesflata. It takes time, she says of the necessary investigations that must be carried out. The mayor says she hopes more of the residents will get answers during the autumn, whether that means they can move back or not. – The municipality will then work on how we can protect the residents against a similar flood, or an even bigger one, in the future. It will get better. Brought the dog and a bag with him When the water rose and the evacuation notice reached Tore Blyverket, everything had to happen at high speed. – It was just to get away. I brought a bag with clothes and the dog. For a year, Tore Blyverket has lived in a room in his workshop. Photo: Lykke Frida Synnøve Høyås / news He had never in his wildest imagination imagined that one year after the flood he would still be homeless. – I had hoped for a solution earlier. Everyone has been working towards a solution since the day after the flood. But there is a lot of legislation, law and bureaucracy. Then there is municipal planning, which does not exactly go very fast. But that it would take over a year, without a proper answer, no… The thoughts of Blyverket grind. The uncertainty hurts. Tore saved the dog from the flood. Now they both hope to be able to move home again soon. Photo: Frida Synnøve Høyås / news “Will I get compensation for the house?” I can’t free up the finances in the house!”. Can I ever move back?” – When was the last time you had a resting heart rate? – 6 August last year. Published 07/08/2024, at 15.25
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Flood victims at Nesbyen still live in suitcases – news Buskerud – Local news, TV and radio
