The rain has poured over Bergen and the surrounding area on Sunday. Nevertheless, some of the city’s residents made the trip out.
– We go out every day, regardless of the weather, and then we wanted to see what it looks like, says Berit Einemo Frøysland to TV 2.
– And what does it look like?
– It’s quite tough, actually, but it also looks semi-scary with so much water. I wonder where all the water is going to go. We are fairly new here in town, but we haven’t seen this much rain here before.
ON A TRIP: Berit Einemo Frøysland went for a walk in the rainy weather on Sunday and was surprised by how much water came from the sky. Photo: Sorosh Sadat / TV 2
Brigade leader John Magnus Birkeland in 110 Vest says that it was a busy morning and afternoon, when it was at its worst.
– The assignments were in a queue for a while, Birkeland tells TV 2.
Had to rescue car
All the stations in 110 Vest have been out at work during Sunday.
– We have had approximately 20 projects with stormwater entering houses.
The fire service has extra work to do if the drains in the city are blocked.
– Drains, gratings, culverts, which have leaves and branches in them, cause it to become clogged and then the water flows on and causes problems for those below. There are simple measures that can do a lot, and there are many who have not done the job today, believes the brigade leader.
The fire service in Åsane also had to help a motorist, who had got stuck in a tunnel due to the huge bodies of water there.
– How it didn’t see the water and drove out there, I can’t answer. It got there and no further, says Birkeland.
TV 2 has spoken to the driver, who does not wish to be named in this article.
– There was a bit of a queue, so I thought I should be smart and take a different route. Then there was a little too much water there. More than I thought it would be, says the 18-year-old.
– At first it seemed that there was only a little water in the way. Then I felt the car lose traction. Then it stopped completely and then the engine stopped, he explains.
LARGE QUANTITIES OF WATER: This tunnel was not recommended for use on Sunday mornings. Photo: Richard Halland
40 messages to If
The motorist called Falk rescue company to get the car out of the tunnel. It is now in a workshop.
– If it’s not too bad to fix, I think we’ll take it home. It seems that everything electronic worked, as the light was on when we lifted it on, says the 18-year-old.
The insurance company If says that there were close to 40 damage reports about water intrusion into homes and commercial buildings in Western Norway already before 4pm on Sunday.
– It is primarily basements in the Bergen area that are affected by stormwater from rain. If there is frost on the ground, the soil will not absorb as much water as in the summer, and the rainwater collects in a completely different way than otherwise, says communications manager Sigmund Clementz.
How much the rainy weather will cost the insurance company is currently unknown.
– It can often take days – in some cases weeks – to get a full overview, says Clementz.
Landslide and flood warning Monday
It was announced in advance that the rainy weather in Bergen could be worse than in many years. However, the fire service does not see it as extreme.
– I don’t have statistics on that, but at least 4-5 times a year there is a lot of rain. Not just rain, but a lot rain, says Birkeland.
He follows the weather forecast a lot and believes that the worst is over for this time.
– Going forward, there are landslides and floods that Yr warns against, says Birkeland.
Yr warns of 12 millimeters of rain on Monday, but as the brigade leader says, has sent out a yellow danger warning for both floods and landslides or landslides on Monday.
In higher-lying areas of Western Norway, there is a yellow warning for snow on Sunday and Monday.
On Tuesday, 17 millimeters of rain is expected. Then it calms down.
Hiker Berit Einemo Frøysland, who is therefore new to the city, believes that the rainy weather in Bergen is not quite as bad as she imagined before she moved.
– I have certainly been warned, but I have actually been pleasantly surprised by this autumn and winter.
