"Traffic may need to be controlled in certain areas"

Public information meetings on the updated emergency response plan for a potential volcanic eruption beneath Mýrdalsjökull glacier were held in Vík í Mýrdal last night—first in English and then in Icelandic.

Björn Ingi Jónsson, Director of Civil Protection for the South Iceland Police, said both meetings went very well and that the public participated actively. Around 30 people attended the English-language session and nearly 100 participated in the Icelandic-language meeting.

Revised emergency response plan presented

The meetings introduced revisions to the existing 2017 response plan for a Katla eruption. Presentations were given by geophysicist Magnús Tumi Guðmundsson from the Institute of Earth Sciences and Bergur Einarsson from the Icelandic Meteorological Office.

“They covered the eruption history, monitoring systems, risk assessments, and other topics under the responsibility of the Meteorological Office,” Jónsson said.

“I then reviewed the current draft of the updated plan. It is largely based on the 2017 version but incorporates new elements to reflect changes in recent years—such as shifts in population demographics, an increase in residents, and more tourists visiting areas closer to the glacier.”

Response may include traffic control

According to Jónsson, the revised plan needed to address these changes and explain how authorities may need to intervene if signs of unrest are detected near the glacier.

“If an eruption is imminent, with potential flooding or ash fall, traffic may need to be controlled in certain areas depending on conditions—such as wind direction, eruption source, and where the effects are expected.”

Following the presentations, about an hour was allocated for questions, and Jónsson noted that members of the public participated actively in the discussion.