Major damage reported due to sea flooding

Þór Sigurgeirsson, mayor of Seltjarnarnes, says major damage was caused when sea water flooded over the dikes this morning and into houses on the southern coast of Seltjarnarnes and elsewhere. He warns that similar conditions can be expected tonight and urges people to take precautions.

The fire department had crews from three fire stations pumping sea water out of basements in many areas along the coastline from Skerjafjörður to Fiskislóð throughout the morning and into the afternoon.

Sea water flooded over the dikes due to high sea levels and strong winds, but warnings had been issued for high tides. Then boulders were thrown onto plots and footpaths.

Sea water pumped out of at least six houses

Sea water had to be pumped out of basements in at least six houses, according to the fire department's chief of staff in the capital area. The damage is considerable, especially in the basements on the lower floors of the houses.

"We've been working since before nine this morning, the last car was just coming in now," says Bjarni Ingimarsson, chief of the fire department in the capital area, in an interview with mbl.is.

"The sea flooded over the dikes this morning, but it was high tide at eight this morning. The sea flooded right up to the houses and there was up to 60 centimeters of water outside the houses and then it leaked in."

All footpaths badly damaged or unusable

The mayor of Seltjarnarnes published a post on the Seltjarnarnes residents' page earlier today where he said that a lot of damage had been done to the residents and urged people to report damage immediately to insurance companies.

"There was a pond around this house and up to the windows there. The basement of this house was half full of water and so were several other houses around it. I was there this morning with the fire department between eight and eight thirty,” Sigurgeirsson says in an interview with mbl.is. Parquet and furniture were damaged.

“All of our footpaths around Nesið are badly damaged or useless,” he also says.

“We are expecting another major flood and southwesterly wind like last night.”