Late Monday evening it finally happened. A volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula, just north of Grindavik, southwest Iceland. It happened a short hour after a series of earthquakes hit the peninsula. The eruption started in the Hagafell area. The fissure from which the lava flowed is around 4 kilometers long. A state of emergency was quickly declared, and it quickly became clear that there was no danger to human life. But it was far from undramatic. Last night, the Icelandic authorities feared that the lava flow could reach the important Svartsengi power plant, which provides electricity and heat to 21,000 households in the area, and the tourist magnet “the Blue Lagoon”. They also feared that the lava flow could reach the small town of Grindavik, which has been evacuated since early November. news has spoken to Bergur Hinriksson. His house is only three or four kilometers from the eruption. Bergur Hinriksson and his family have lived here for the past four years. The house has mostly been empty since the evacuation at the beginning of November. Photo: Private The 50-year-old is from Grindavik and moved home to the small town with two children and his wife four years ago. The family was evacuated after the earthquakes in November. In the weeks that followed, Icelanders held their breath as they waited for an outbreak. Eventually, they hoped that they would be allowed to move home for Christmas. – At least nothing will come of it, says Hinriksson to news after Monday’s outbreak. Lucky After an inspection by helicopter early on Tuesday morning, it became clear that the lava is not flowing towards Hinriksson’s hometown. Iceland’s infrastructure minister said on Tuesday morning that they had been “quite lucky with the outbreak’s location and development”. Geophysicist Björn Oddson also thought they had been lucky, and said the eruption had come in “the best place” if there was to be an eruption first. That’s what RÚV writes. People watch the huge eruption. Photo: Marco Di Marco / AP Uncertain future When Hinriksson moved to Grindavik four years ago, he was tired of traffic, stress and noise after many years abroad and in Reykjavík. He wanted to go home to the place where he was born, grew up and has the rest of his family. – It was a dream come true to move home to the small town, he says. Now the small town has been hit by four volcanic eruptions in three years. Geologist and volcano expert Ármann Höskuldsson tells Morgunblaðið that this eruption is much more powerful than the last three eruptions. – Yes, this is completely different. This is serious. The others were like morsels, the geologist said. Hinriksson was therefore prepared for something like that to happen. He has long since taken most of the belongings in Grindavik to the apartment the family rents outside Reykjavík. – My youngest son, aged 11, called me last night. He said “Dad, there won’t be a Christmas celebration in Grindavik this year”. Hinriksson says he tries to think about the day today, and only a few days ahead. – The future is very uncertain now. The recent earthquakes have left their mark on Hinriksson’s house. Photo: Privat The fissure may change For although the Meteorological Institute in Iceland reported this afternoon that the activity in the volcanic eruption is decreasing, and the lava flow is now a quarter as large as at the beginning, the situation has not been clarified. A change in the fissure could suddenly mean that Grindavik, the Svartsengi power plant and the “blue lagoon” are threatened by the lava flow. That’s what geophysicist Oddson tells RÚV. Hinriksson himself feared that the lava flow would swallow his house and hometown. – I was quite afraid of it, he says. Everything depends on the erosion. Another person who will have a different Christmas is the geophysicist Ingibjörg Jóhannesdóttir from Grindavik. She lives in Bergen and is going home to Iceland in two days. Ingibjörg Jóhannesdóttir lives in Bergen, but is from Grindavik in Iceland Photo: Privat The first thing she did when the news came last night was to call her parents to make sure they were all right. – What is happening is completely surreal. At the same time, it will be interesting to see from the plane. I expect that it will be both difficult and emotional to see the area like that, she says. The geophysicist is also aware that it is not known whether the lava will subdue the city. – Everything depends on how long the erosion continues. This is a picture from Ingibjörg’s parents’ surveillance camera last night. Photo: Privat Another Christmas Jóhannesdóttir says that she thinks there will be very mixed feelings during the Christmas season. – Because our homes are like that. It’s going to be a difficult Christmas. But I’m just glad everyone is safe. Since the evacuation in November, her family has lived in a cabin a couple of hours’ drive from their home. The house of Ingibjörg Jóhannesdóttir’s parents in Grindavik. Taken in June. Photo: Private She is, after all, happy that everyone was evacuated when they were. – Because in the past we have experienced lava eruptions in the middle of the night, she says, recalling what happened on Vestmannaeyjar fifty years ago. Then the volcanic eruption lasted for five months. Lava and ash covered the houses. Everyone who lived there had to flee. On Tuesday evening, Fannar Jonasson, mayor of Grindavik, made a statement. He says that unfortunately there will be no Christmas celebrations in Grindavik this year, and that it is now important that people in Grindavik “continue to stick together and take good care of each other”.
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After four volcanic eruptions in three years, Bergur is uncertain about the future – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
