Boelo hits Norway. Thousands without power, damage and flood risk

Homes and other premises without power. What does a total of more than 8,000 mean?

At about 6:30 a.m., outages affected more than 8,000 customers of two operators:

These figures were reported by Aftenposten, citing the NTB news agency.

The local scale of the problem is illustrated by Tromøy: at 7:00 a.m., the Geita news portal reported that nearly 1,300 customers lost power there overnight. This figure describes a local incident and should not automatically be added to the operators’ total. Geita

In an article updated at 8:43 a.m., VG still reported more than 7,300 customers without power. However, the compilation includes data from different times and therefore does not in itself demonstrate an improvement compared with the earlier tally. VG

Where did the storm cause damage?

Morning reports show effects both on the west coast and in the south and east of the country:

• Karmøy: wind tore corrugated metal sheets from the roof of a municipal industrial building. The report came in before 3 a.m.
• Bergen: firefighters secured steel sheets that had come loose on a commercial building.
• Askøy: emergency services responded to a trampoline blown away by the wind.
• Agder: by 6:15 a.m., police had reported about 20 calls regarding trees on roads and power lines. At that time, they had no information about serious damage or incidents.
• Holmestrand: a tree blocked a lane of the E18 near the Bolstad tunnel. Traffic could use the other lane; road workers were at the site in the morning.

These are confirmed incidents from the night and morning. Aftenposten/NTB

Rescuers heading to nine tourists. Helicopter turned back

A group of nine people in the mountains above Kinsarvik requested help in the morning after their tents were destroyed. The tourists were soaked and cold; no injuries were reported.

A rescue helicopter dispatched from Sola had to turn back due to severe turbulence. Hovedredningssentralen, the rescue coordination centre, maintained satellite contact with the group. Red Cross volunteers and a police patrol with a dog set out to assist them. In the report updated at 8:43 a.m., there was still no confirmation that the operation had ended. VG

Alerts: which municipalities are in risk zones?

Orange warnings apply to flooding, landslides and debris flows in parts of Eastern Norway. Alert levels vary between municipalities and types of hazard. Sunday’s Varsom overview includes, among others:

The overview provides examples, not every municipality. A regional warning does not mean that every property in a municipality faces the same level of risk. The exact area can be checked in the official Varsom overview and map.

NVE warns primarily of rapidly rising water in streams and small and medium-sized rivers. The forecast included locally 40–60 mm of rain in 12 hours. This is a forecast total, not a measurement confirmed for all locations. Flooding, bank erosion, road damage and bridge closures are possible. NVE orange flood alert

A separate landslide alert warns of incidents that may threaten buildings, roads and railways. Material flowing from slopes can reach valley bottoms even if it begins high in the terrain. NVE orange landslide alert

Winds are expected to weaken, but flood risk remains

According to MET’s morning warning list, the strong-wind risk in parts of Eastern Norway is expected to decrease around 10 a.m., in parts of Trøndelag around noon, and in Hordaland around 1 p.m.. In parts of Midt-Nordland, the alert lasts until 11 p.m.. A rain warning in parts of Vestfold, Telemark and Buskerud remains in force until 4 p.m.. MET/Varsom weather warning list

The validity periods of the alerts indicate that improving wind conditions will not end all hazards. The orange flood alert forecasts that the risk will not ease until Monday morning, 26 October. The landslide alert lasts until Sunday evening. NVE: flooding, NVE: landslides

What are municipalities and emergency services doing?

In Larvik, three residents at risk of losing power were moved preventively. The municipality provided overnight staffing for its telephone switchboard and readied volunteer organisations, including the Red Cross. The mayor reported increased preparedness but no activation of a crisis management team. VG

In Tønsberg, particular attention was given to Revetal. Sensors and cameras were installed by a stream and a culvert beneath Re-torvet to monitor water levels and pressure changes. Local farmers remained ready to pump water. The municipality also reported continuous contact with the fire service and Sivilforsvaret, Norway’s Civil Defence. Tønsberg announcement

Kåpeveien was scheduled to close from 6 p.m. on Saturday to lay a temporary water drainage pipe. Residents received text messages asking them to move their cars. Kåpeveien announcement

On Saturday evening, the municipality said the pipe connection was being completed and asked farmers to check their pumps. It also identified places that would provide information and assistance in the event of prolonged power and communications outages: the legevakt emergency clinic, town hall, Re helsehus, Hogsnes helsehus, and the Eik sykehjem and Nes sykehjem care facilities. This is a contingency plan, not information about shelters that have been opened. Tønsberg evening announcement

Additional power crews. When will electricity return?

Lede increased its preparedness from 6 p.m. on Saturday and called in additional crews. The operator noted that trees and branches falling onto lines could cause further damage. It pledged to repair outages as quickly and safely as possible. Lede announcement

BKK also prepared additional staff and equipment. However, it stressed that field work can continue only when conditions are safe for crews. Where many faults occur simultaneously, restoring power to all customers may take longer. The statements cited do not give a single time for completion of all repairs. BKK announcement

Ferries: cancelled sailings and changed timetable

Fjord Line confirms the cancellation of the following Sunday sailings:

Some services are still scheduled. The carrier announced a changed Stavanger–Hirtshals sailing on Sunday at 10 a.m., arriving at 8 p.m., and an additional Kristiansand–Hirtshals sailing on Monday, 26 October, at 10:30 p.m., arriving Tuesday at 6 a.m. Check the status of the specific departure before travelling. Fjord Line timetable and announcements

Color Line cancelled SuperSpeed sailings from Hirtshals to Kristiansand on Saturday at 8:40 p.m. and from Kristiansand to Hirtshals on Sunday at 8 a.m., VG reported, citing Fædrelandsvennen. VG/NTB

Where can you check the situation at your home and on your route?

Current outage information should be checked with the network operator responsible for the address:

Elvia notes that not all low-voltage network outages automatically appear on the map.

Warnings for your municipality can be checked on Varsom, and road conditions in the Statens vegvesen service.

NVE recommends moving valuable items from areas vulnerable to flooding, clearing drains, and avoiding swollen rivers, streams and steep slopes. Cars parked near waterways or in low-lying areas should be moved if this can be done safely. NVE recommendations

Main image: storm near Hestskjær Lighthouse in Averøy, 5 April 2021. Archive material used for illustrative purposes; editorial crop. Photo: Marianne Johnsen / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.