– It is completely sad, says Bjørn Arve Aanes. When the westerner returned to his house in Øvre Årdal, he was met by a basement filled with water. – We almost had the house destroyed by an internal leak two years ago and have not finished rebuilding it, so having to step in again, I feel myself shaking, says the old man. Photo: Ingeborg Grindheim Slinde / news Photo: Ingeborg Grindheim Slinde / news Photo: Ingeborg Grindheim Slinde / news Photo: Ingeborg Grindheim Slinde / news For the most part, the water level has been 1.60 meters in the basement. – The entire basement is razed. Things float around and the doors have jumped off the hinges, says Aanes. Since midnight, the fire service has been on almost 30 missions where people have got water into basements and garages. – Dramatic Around 100 people were told to flee their homes on Thursday evening as the Sitla river in Øvre Årdal continued to rise. – It was very dramatic. At some point, the river took a new lease and overflowed its banks, says the mayor of Årdal, Christian Sønstlien. Several people were told to evacuate their homes when the water rose. Photo: private Like many in Årdal, he has had a sleepless night. Bjørn Arve Aanes understood the seriousness when he saw the river approaching the house. – I was shaking and felt that now it was serious, he says. Bjørn Arve Aanes back at his house after the dramatic night. Photo: Ingeborg Grindheim Slinde / news Got to move home Friday at At 08 the evacuees were told that it was safe to move home. – The police and Hydro energi, with support from NVE, have had a visual inspection and concluded that it is safe to return, says mayor Christian Sønstlien. The river has left clear traces of the night’s ravages. Photo: Kjell Audun Lægreid Aanes says that they are used to the fact that the river can get bigger in autumn, but what has happened during “Jakob” has been out of the ordinary. – Since we got home from work on Thursday, we have heard lots of rocks falling in the mountains, we have never heard that before, he says. Published 01.11.2024, at 09.27 Updated 01.11.2024, at 11.26
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