Claims for NOK 100 million after the flood

cow floodCows grazing in a flooded area. Photo: Pixabay

Claims for NOK 100 million after the flood

Preliminary figures show that around 500 damages to buildings and furniture have been reported after the flood in southern Norway. Now demands for more money for safety measures are coming thick and fast.

 

– Preliminary estimates from Finance Norway and Norwegian Natural Damage Fund show that there are reported about 500 damages to buildings and household goods. There is damage to a number of cars on top of that. The figures are preliminary and will increase as more people report their damages, says Communications Manager in Finance Norway, Stine Neverdal.

The flood caused the biggest damage in Skjåk in Gudbrandsdalen and in Luster in Sogn & Fjordane. It hit very locally and has affected a few communities a lot. Damages totalling NOK 100 million have been reported thus far, Financial Norway states.

People who have got water into their house must realise that it will take a long time before the damage has been rectified.

– Those who have suffered damage must contact their insurance company as soon as possible, according to Neverdal.

Assumes that the state chips in

Exceptionally warm weather with subsequent snow melting and large amounts of precipitation locally, created what reminds of a large spring flood, and had major consequences for very many people.

The dramatic situation led to that the Minister of Justice and Preparedness, Tor Mikkel Wara (Progress Party), Municipal Minister, Monica Mæland (Conservatives) and Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Kjell-Børge Freiberg (Conservatives) decided to visit Skjåk by helicopter to assess the situation. They met with residents, the preparedness authorities, the affected Mayors and the County Governor in Oppland.

The demand for more money for flood protection was not unexpectedly unison after the three Cabinet Ministers arrived.

– This when the feelings come to the fore. It is now the reactions are coming. It is now the work starts to repair after the damages. We must be prepared in the future, and I assume that the state provides help, Mayor of Skjåk, Eskas Sperstad says, according to Gudbrandsdølen Dagningen. In addition to the Cabinet Ministers, the Assembly was made up by representatives from a number of Government agencies.

-I can not fathom anything else than that it makes sense to spend more money on preparedness and safety, Mayor of Sel, Dag Erik Pryhn, concurs.

NVE asked for NOK 2.5 billion

Whether the Government chooses to contribute more towards flood protection, is in the blue. What is certain is that in recent years the Government has allocated less money for securing against floods etc in the National budgets.

While the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) has estimated that there is a need for NOK 2.5 billion for flood, avalanche and landslide measures across Norway, the Government proposes for the 2019 government budget to give NVE one-tenth of that (about 250 million).

In addition, comes NOK 45 million for measures in Longyearbyen on Svalbard and 8 million towards preventing flooding in residential areas.

The question remains whether the budget negotiations will end just as it did last year, with a significant increase.

 

© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today