Storm Damage Estimated at Hundreds of Millions
First responders, electrical workers, and others gathered in Dalvík last night. Photo/Bjarni Gunnarsson
Power line repairs are still underway, following the severe weather that hit Iceland last week, Morgunblaðið reports. The violent storm caused major damage of power lines, as well as property, although its extent is yet to be assessed.
“We know the damage likely amounts to hundreds of millions [of ISK],” states Tryggvi Þór Haraldsson, CEO of RARIK – Iceland State Electricity. “Right now, we’re providing electricity. The cost accumulates, but we’ll deal with that later. There is a great deal of damage for our customers as well.”
Broken electric poles in Dalvík. Eggert Jóhannesson
There was a power outage in Skagafjörður yesterday morning. A substation in Hrútatunga, Northwest Iceland, was cleaned of salt the night before last, but malfunctioned again, due to salt accumulation.
In the wake of the storm, houses in Skagafjörður remained warm despite widespread power outages, since auxiliary generators were in place. Yesterday, diesel generators were still running in Dalvík, North Iceland – four from RARIK and one in the Icelandic Coast Guard ship Þór. Diesel generators were running in the northeast as well: in Raufarhöfn, Þórshöfn, Bakkafjörður and elsewhere.
Residents receiving power from diesel generators were asked to conserve electricity as much as possible. These generators will be used until power line repairs have been completed, which could take a few more days. In the meantime, electricity could be rationed.
About 400 people attended a gathering of first responders, electrical workers, crewmembers of Þór, police officers and others, who have participated in demanding tasks in recent days, in the wake of the storm. Dalvík Mayor Katrín Sigurjónsdóttir thanked them for their selfless work for the community.
