On 21 September 2020, the remnants of tropical storm Sally hit Norway. It affected many, including the Bjørkmo family at Nevernes outside Mo i Rana. – The flood hit us hard, says Dan-Rudi Bjørkmo. Now two years have passed. The family has been a toss-up between the municipality, insurance company and NVE. The house, which is in the middle of a flood zone, they don’t dare live in. They don’t dare sell it either. – We can revive our conscience if we sell it on, says Monica Bjørkmo. A last hope was to have the house relocated, but on Friday that hope was also dashed. RECEIVE THE MESSAGE: Here, Dan-Rudi and Monica get to read the messages that deny the hope they still had. Photo: Frank Nygård / news Dangerous for life? It has been two years since the flood. The family now lives at Storforshei, around four kilometers from Nevernes. Why has nothing happened? Why did they still have hope? Together with the municipality and the insurance company and one in five neighbours, they applied for support from NVE to move their actual home to another place. At the beginning of November, they received a reply to the application: “NVE does not grant subsidies for demolition and relocation.” The municipality applied on behalf of these two houses for relocation. But despite the rejection, Dan-Rudi and Monica still had hope. – It was documented in the letter that there was a danger to human life. So that’s it, isn’t it? asks Dan-Rudi. He refers to the wording in parts of the refusal: There are five houses on Nevernes, not just the two that applied for relocation. In the refusal, NVE emphasizes this: We cannot see that it has been documented that two homes are exposed to a particularly high risk to human life compared to the rest of the buildings in the area. Furthermore, the demolition and relocation of two homes in the area will not provide increased security for the remaining buildings. – When we read this, we thought that it could be changed, says Monica. The residents therefore believed that the refusal had been given because not all the houses had been applied for, and that if they applied again together with the other neighbors they could get money. news contacts NVE. Then we get another explanation as to why it was rejected. Monica and Dan-Rudi thought there was hope despite rejection from NVE. Photo: Frank Nygård / news Admits bad wording The reason why only two out of five houses applied for relocation was because these were the ones that had the most damage. news asks NVE: If it is dangerous to live there, shouldn’t everyone be relocated? The houses at Nevernes are close together. In the refusal, it was emphasized that it is no more dangerous to live in the houses that have applied for relocation. Mads Johnsen, chief engineer and head of security at NVE, replies that they do not initially consider it a great danger to live in the area. news points out that the refusal states that there is a danger to human life and that it may appear that the refusal has been given on the basis that they have not applied for relocation for all the houses. – Yes – we agree with you that the rationale for Nevernes is somewhat short and imprecisely worded, Johnsen replies. The flood in 2020 affected many people in the area around Mo i Rana. He adds: – At the same time, reference is made to the regulations, which are easy to find on NVE’s website, and where you can read more about the criteria for demolition and relocation. Johnsen clarifies that the refusal stands and that it is only the wording in the letter that is somewhat imprecise. No point in applying again The Bjørkmo family had read the refusal with optimism. They interpreted it to mean that the refusal was based on the fact that not all the homes at Nevernes had been applied for – and that they could be successful if they applied together with all of them. news asks NVE what they think about the fact that the information in the rejection seems confusing to the applicants. – If someone finds something confusing, they must contact the municipality, who can then seek clarification from NVE. Applications for demolition and relocation for other homes at Nevernes will be refused by NVE, replies Johnsen. There are five houses close together on Nevernes. NVE says that none of them will receive support to be relocated. Photo: Frank Nygård / news – In other words, is there no point in applying again to NVE for those at Nevernes? – No. As is clear from the letter, we have already made the comparison with the other homes. Going beyond health Dan-Rudi and Monica get to read the communication between news and NVE. – It does not agree with what is written in the rejection we have received. It’s as confusing as it gets, says Monica immediately. Dan-Rudi chimes in: – I have no words. There is little indication that Dan-Rudi and Monica Bjørkmo will be able to move the house. The picture is from when news met them earlier in the autumn. Photo: Frank Nygård / news The couple say they have been in communication with the municipality. – We trust that the municipality will appeal against this refusal, says Monica. – You don’t give up the fight? – No. It is hopeless to think that we will move back to such a place where there could be up to a meter higher flood than last time, says Monica. – It has been back and forth for two years. We gain hope, then we lose it. I don’t have the health to stand in this much longer. news has presented the situation and information for Rana municipality. They reply to news in an SMS that the application has been written based on advice and guidance from NVE, and that on Monday they will review the decision to assess the way forward. ALSO READ:
ttn-69
Flood victims do not dare to live in their own house, or sell it – news Nordland
