The family had only been back in their house in Grindavík for a week when Valgerður Ágústsdóttir woke up to the feeling of an earthquake. On 10 November last year they were evacuated. On the night of Sunday, a voice inside told her that they had to leave again. – There is a special sound that I know, which I think is the lava under the city, says Ágústsdóttir to news. The coast guard in Iceland has taken a picture of the eruption from a helicopter. The image is distributed by the broadcaster RUV. Photo: Iceland’s coast guard / RUV Just after 04.00 they received an SMS with a message to evacuate. Then they already had the package for close to 40 minutes. – We helped each other bring food and take out the rubbish. Then I left. Saw outbreak on live TV news meets the Ágústsdóttir family in the town of Reykjanesbær in Iceland. They have been there most of the time since the previous outbreak in November. – We can stay here, but it’s not home. Grindavík is my safe haven. My friends and family are there. I love nature. Ice bathing in the sea. That’s where I feel good, says Ágústsdóttir. Valgerður Ágústsdóttir and her family have left Grindavík for Reykjanesbær. That’s why it was hard to see my hometown burn on live TV. The volcanic fissure opened just five or six houses away from her. The family of Valgerður Ágústsdóttir follows the outbreak on live TV. They saw the eruption and the lava flowing towards their home town of Grindavík. Photo: Trygve Heide / news – We sat glued to the TV without actually wanting to watch it. I couldn’t stop watching. It doesn’t have a sock properly inside. – It was not a good feeling. Before, I was unsure if this wink of an eye would ever come. We are always ready for an outbreak, but when it happened, it was unreal, says Ágústsdóttir. The lava has reached houses in Grindavík. The house of Valgerður Ágústsdóttir is now intact. Photo: Ragnar Visage / RUV – Much you don’t know At a safe distance from her hometown, Sólveig Thorbergsdóttir from Grindavík meets news. She looks out at the mountains and the smoke rising. – You ask yourself if you can look at what is happening. It must be terrible for those who live there, she says. Sólveig Thorbergsdóttir from Grindavík does not know when she can move back home. Photo: Trygve Heide / news Her house on the outskirts of the city is still standing, without major damage. Although she wants to move back, she sees that it is difficult to live with uncertainty about when the next outbreak will come. – I realize that there is a lot that one does not know. You don’t know if it might come again in a month, if a lava eruption opens up in the middle of the city. The coast guard in Iceland has taken a picture of the eruption from a helicopter. The image is distributed by the broadcaster RUV. Photo: Iceland’s Coast Guard / RUV The Icelandic broadcaster Ruv wrote on Monday afternoon that the volcanic fissure that opened on Sunday afternoon appears to have stopped. At the same time, Grindavík is still a high-risk area where new cracks can open without warning. The ground under the city has risen by up to 1.4 meters in the last 24 hours, writes Ruv. Not afraid Valgerður Ágústsdóttir feels lost without Grindavík. – I love living in Grindavík, and miss the local community. I am a very positive person, so I think we will get through this together. At the same time, Ágústsdóttir is realistic – life in Grindavík will not be the same. – I believe that we can build Grindavík up again. I’m not afraid. Hear the latest from news Urix:
ttn-69
– Couldn’t resist watching – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
