305 The residents of Seyðisfjörður have been allowed to return to their homes, RÚV reports. This is after the whole town was evacuated on Friday due to landslides. These residents were allowed to return home yesterday afternoon, although 276 people are still being evacuated due to the risk of further landslides.
The landslides in Seyðisfjörður first occurred on Tuesday evening and were caused by heavy rainfall (reportedly 350mm in six days) in the area. Initially, 120 people were evacuated from the area and a state of emergency was declared. Throughout the week, the situation was unstable as floods and further landslides occurred. Finally, the evacuation was extended to cover the entire town, as well as part of Eskifjörður.
On Thursday night, an unoccupied house was destroyed by a landslide and swept 50 meters from its original location. Several other houses in the town have been damaged and some of the area is still without electricity. On Friday, however, rescue crews managed to return power to the most important parts of the town, RÚV reports.
Yesterday, the level of danger was reduced from “emergency” to “danger” and the evacuation of Eskifjörður was lifted. The Civil Defense announced that a service center would be opened to assist the residents of Seyðisfjörður in gathering information and assistance in recovering from the landslides. The situation in Seyðisfjörður is still unresolved, especially for the 276 who remain in evacuation due to the Icelandic Meteorological Office’s assessment that there is a risk of further landslides. Officials and flood experts continue to monitor the situation to determine when it is safe for the remaining refugees to return home.
Source: The Nordic Page