Dam bursts open as deadly flooding washes away homes in Norway
Entire towns have been evacuated in Norway after unrelenting rain sparked widespread flooding, and the country's prime minister warned residents that the flooding is "by no means over."
Residents watched as a camping trailer and a mobile home slammed into a bridge in Hemsedal, Norway, on Aug. 9, amid flash flooding.
Torrents of water gushed through multiple towns across Norway and landslides cascaded down mountainsides after a deluge drenched Norway earlier in the week. Residents have been forced to evacuate, and the situation could get worse before it gets better.
Significant flooding was reported in the Norwegian towns of Nes, Bagn and Valer, all located north of the capital city of Oslo.
A wet July was the precursor to the flooding, with monthly rainfall more than 300% of the historical average in and around Oslo. The wet pattern persisted through the first part of August with rain falling every day through the first 10 days of the month.
"I don’t think everyone understands how much water we are talking about," Tone Velo, a local resident, wrote on Facebook, according to The Associated Press.
Areal images of the devastation showed multiple houses piled up along the banks of a river after floodwaters washed the structures downstream.
An overflooded campsite is pictured in Aurdal, Norway on August 11, 2023 after extreme weather with heavy rain hit south-east Norway. (Photo by Ole Berg-Rusten / NTB / AFP) / Norway OUT (Photo by OLE BERG-RUSTEN/NTB/AFP via Getty Images)
On Wednesday, a dam partially burst open on the Glama, the county's largest river in the southern part of Norway. The partial collapse occurred at a hydroelectric power plant with a wave of water triggering landslides and significant flooding downstream.
More than 1,000 people were evacuated downstream of the river shortly before the dam failed, the AP said.
At least one person has died after a woman fell into a raging stream on Tuesday.
A photo shows the Storelva river flowing through Hoenefoss, Norway on August 9, 2023. Norwegian authorities said on August 9 thousands had been evacuated following massive floods and that they were considering blowing open a dam after the floodgates failed to open. Norway's armed forces said they had been asked to assist police at the Braskereidfoss hydroelectric power station, which lies along the Glomma river -- the longest in Norway -- to evaluate whether the gates would need to be blasted open. (Photo by Annika Byrde / NTB / AFP) / Norway OUT (Photo by ANNIKA BYRDE/NTB/AFP via Getty Images)
Local officials are warning that conditions could deteriorate even further before the floodwaters begin to recede.
“This is by no means over,” Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said. “It could be the highest water level in 50 years or more.”
AccuWeather meteorologists say there will be some breaks in the rain during the upcoming week, but there is no prolonged stretch of dry weather in the forecast in the short term.
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