Tuesday 29 October KKristine: Hi, What do you think about Thursday? Are you going to use the fences? Tuesday 29 October Reidar Gilbakken, Voss herad: Hi, it will be decided tomorrow. It is Reidar Gilbakken in Voss herad who answers our message. Storm Jakob is on its way and Gilbakken knows well that the Westland municipality is in the danger zone. In recent years, the municipality has experienced several major floods, such as this 200-year flood in 2014. After the flood in 2022, there was such extensive damage that the cinema halls in the Kulturhuset had to be closed for 13 months. Water, but also contaminated sewage entered the building. The walls had to be dismantled and cleaned. The courthouse, the secondary school and the sports hall were also badly hit and had to be renovated after damage from the flood. This time they have prepared better. It has become Wednesday and Gilbakken updates us on the weather situation, which now looks more serious. Wednesday 30 October Reidar Gilbakken: Hello. The warning has changed to red, and I have decided to set up a floam fence this afternoon. The municipality has set up a crisis team. For the first time, they will be able to test the new flood protection worth several million kroner. The question is whether Jakob’s powers can be tamed. The map shows municipal buildings in Voss that get better flood protection Rehearsal two weeks before news visits Voss two weeks before storm Jakob hits Norway. Then a large group trains to set up newly purchased flood fences. It is the same type of fence that kept the water out of Tampa General Hospital in Florida, when Hurricane Helene was at its worst. – If you haven’t practiced, then you are not prepared, says project and construction manager Reidar Gilbakken in Voss herad municipality. They spend an hour putting up 50 meters of fences. But in total they will spend two days getting to know all the new equipment. It is the Norwegian company AquaFence AS and the inventor, Thor Olav Rørheim, who have developed the movable flood protection. Photo: Gerd Johanne Braadland / news Because after the big floods in 2014 and 2022, the municipality saw that they had to invest in better flood preparedness. With the new flood fences, they can shut off water from the municipal buildings at short notice. The municipality has also installed valves that prevent sewage from entering the building. Power and ventilation systems have been raised higher on the walls, sumps have been installed and mobile pumps have been purchased. Because if the groundwater rises, water can also come from the ground up into the buildings. Flood preparedness must be in place. Photo: Reidar Gilbakken Even higher fences? – We feel that climate change has already reached us, says flood coordinator Bjørg Lirhus Ree. She says that at Voss they have worked a lot on climate adaptation. In the future, the 200-year floods here may occur every ten years. Bjørg Lirhus Ree says the measures should reduce damage to the buildings. Photo: Gerd Johanne Braadland / news The 120 cm high fences are designed for a 200-year flood in today’s climate. – But shouldn’t the fences be higher? – With these fences, we currently have no control over the climate surcharge. Then they should have been two meters higher. But it’s the best we’ve got so far, says Lirhus Ree. Lirhus Ree believes that they have never before been better prepared for a flood. Enormous extent of damage Over the past five years, flood damage has increased by over 30 per cent. This is shown by figures from Finans Norge. Another report commissioned by the same industry association shows that if nothing is done, weather and natural events will cost Norwegian society NOK 19 billion annually in 2100. Today, it is estimated that the amount is NOK 5.5 billion. – The insurance companies are concerned that if they are going to continue to pay out full compensation, they want to see that we implement measures, says Håkon Innset, head of Building and construction in Voss municipality. In 2022, both municipal and state authorities received criticism from the National Audit Office for poor safeguarding of buildings and infrastructure with a changing climate. The Directorate for Social Security and Preparedness (DSB) recently recommended that the state should give more money to the municipalities’ flood protection work. Vangsvatnet has previously been dug deeper as a flood protection measure. The new measures will be able to stop large amounts of water if the water rises during a flood. Photo: Gerd Johanne Braadland / news Although the final price tag for the measures is not yet clear, Innset estimates that Voss has spent a few million on flood preparedness. Both Inset and Gilbakken are convinced that it pays off in the long run. Inset hopes that the measures will work for the insurance company as well. – We do not yet know whether they are satisfied. But we hope so, says Innset. Luck Reidar Gilbakken: Not Christian yet, but expect it to escalate during the night. It has become Thursday and it continues to rain at Voss. Flood preparedness is in place. In the neighboring municipality of Ullensvang, the historic hotel is flooded, a bridge breaks and people have to evacuate. Friday morning at 08.20 Gilbakken sends us this video. During the peak of the flood, the water was still 70–80 cm from the fences. Voss heread can breathe a sigh of relief. They have been lucky. Although the equipment did not get flooded, they were tested to see how long it takes before they are ready to fight a flood. – We were able to go through and test everything. From when we pressed the button until everything was in place, it took two hours, Inset and Gilbakken say. Published 04.11.2024, at 20.56
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Tired of being hit by flood after flood – now Voss has taken action – news Vestland
