After the torrential rain on Monday, the rock and landslide came tumbling down the mountainside at Snøva on Gjørva in Sunndal. The massive landslide dragged the vegetation with it and razed the farm area of Erling Snøva. – It is a disaster area here. It doesn’t look like it, and it will be a big job to clean up. This area can never be the same, says the farmer, who is used to it collapsing around him. No longer protected On the mountainside behind the family’s farm, five meter high embankments have been built to stop landslides from reaching the buildings. After the landslide on Monday, it has filled up with masses behind the embankments. – Now there is nothing that can hold a race anymore. There is a clear path towards the buildings and inland, both at my place and the neighbour’s, says Snøva, who is worried about the weather. Ida Ranheim Sæther, Sivert and Erling Snøva live on the farm. Dordi (4) was playing inside when the picture was taken. Photo: Privat Soft rain On Monday, according to him, 30 millimeters of rain fell within an hour. In the morning hours today, the rain poured down for half an hour. – But there was nothing against the rain on Monday. If such torrential rain comes, there is a huge potential for landslides. I hear that there is stone being thrown in the mountainsides just behind the house. Ready to evacuate It is up to those who live there to decide whether they want to evacuate or not. Today they work on the farm as they usually do. Enormous forces have been at work. Photo: Private Ida Ranheim Sæther has packed the car so that they are ready in the event of another landslide. – It’s not like it happens in one minute. Landslides usually start at an altitude of 1,000 meters or higher, and it takes a long time before they reach the slopes. There is no problem hearing it, says Erling Snøva. The cows are out grazing. – If there is another landslide, they can just run away. The road is closed Since national road 70 between Oppdal and Sunndalsøra is closed again due to the risk of landslides, they have to drive up into the village in case something happens. According to the National Roads Administration, it is uncertain how long the road will be closed, but it will probably not open today. The road between Grøa and Gjøra is closed after a landslide. Photo: Eirik Haukenes / news – Landslides here since the dawn of time Erling Snøva has no problem with living in landslide-hazardous terrain. – It has been raging here since the dawn of time, and it will continue until the mountain has fallen. It is “cool” to live here. My wife is more skeptical than I am as she didn’t grow up here, but she’s starting to get used to it too, says Snøva. On Monday, there were landslides in three or four places between Gjøra and Grøa, near the county border between Møre and Romsdal and Trøndelag.
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The house is no longer protected – fear of new landslides
