HEMSEDAL, Norway – A powerful storm that has slammed Norway this week led to numerous reports of flooding and landslides this week. Videos from the region showed homes being swept away and destroyed by raging rivers that overflowed their banks.
The Norwegian Meteorological Institute had issued a Red Danger Warning in advance of Storm Hans due to the high risk of rain and flooding. Forecasters had warned that the storm would be among the strongest to hit parts of the country in the past 25 years.
The agency also warned that areas north of the country’s capital city of Oslo could see 3-4 inches of rain in one day.
Videos shared by Stian Heid showed a camper and mobile home being swept downstream by raging floodwaters and crashing into a bridge in the mountain village of Hemsedal, about 125 miles northeast of Oslo.
People standing on the riverbank and on the bridge could only look on in horror as the structures crashed into the bridge and were ripped apart by the force of the surging water.
The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) reported that the Braskereidfoss hydroelectric power plant on the Glåma River in eastern Norway stopped working early Wednesday morning due to an error, and when that occurred, floodgates that were set to open automatically to release water failed to open.
Thousands of people living near the dam were forced to evacuate, and officials were mulling the idea of using explosives to blow the floodgates open. They decided against that, but the dam later failed and sent water rushing downstream.
Norway Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre provided an update on Facebook and said several people lost their homes and important infrastructure was damaged as a result of the storm.
“The forces of nature are so strong that we are going to see more destruction and continue to face difficult situations ahead,” he said in the translated Facebook post.
He said the government was doing what it could to provide help needed to devastated communities.
“In Norway, we are there for each other when needed,” he said. “No one should stand alone in this difficult situation.”