Flooding on the road – ferry boat to school

NYBERGSUND (Dagbladet): Trisilelva flooded the school road for Halvor Johannes (8) and Herman Olai (7). So the brothers, along with their father, Magne Trondsen, got into the car on the other side of the flooded river on solid ground.

– Jokingly, Hallvor Johannes smiles at Dagbladet – and Hermann Olai gives a thumbs up.

That’s how they crossed the “missing” 50-meter road stump and went to work in Nybergsund, a short distance away, with Dad.

Although the water level will drop by 18 cm from Tuesday to Wednesday, it will continue like this for several days. At most, the road is buried by more than 50 centimeters of flood water.

– After the flood in 2018, there is not so much water here. In the basement, there is 95 centimeters of flood water from the floor, Magne Trondsen tells Talkbladet.

Smile and good mood

He is happy that the water has receded in the last 24 hours, but is prepared for another flood when the snow starts to melt north of Gutbrandstalen.

Grandfather remembers the massive flood in Trisileelwa in 1995 at the same place.

– Then the water was so high, young Magnay paddled into the living room through the front door with a canoe, the schoolboy’s grandfather tells Dogbladet.

Another person in the municipality of Trieste who is happy about the good flood news is Hans-Martin Aus, the municipality’s preparedness coordinator.

– There were smiles and good vibes at Town Hall on Wednesday morning. After examining the latest reports from NVE and meteorologists, the state administrator may conclude that the worst flood risk is over. As tells Talkblade that no rain was reported in the first week.

To the counter with a canoe

The NVE has long warned of the possibility of so-called “ten-year floods” due to heavy snowfall in the mountains. But cooler nights and less rain than forecast until May 17 have reduced the risk of major flooding.

Aus, a teacher in 1995, lived in Trevsjo, high up in the landscape, and remembers stories of great floods when the entire center of Driss was under water.

He shows us pictures of the flood in a local history book, in which one of the customers from a pharmacy comes to the counter in a boat.

The NVE has warned of the highest risk of flooding so far due to snowmelt in Trisilvastraket, Sperillen in Groteren and Buskerud, and many other places in Troms and Finnmark.

– Stone filling is the only solution

Ann Christine Wangan and her husband Roger Wangan, two other Trisilelva residents, are happy with Wednesday’s conclusion that there will be no major flooding this season.

– There is now 50 centimeters of water in the entire basement. During the great flood of 1995, the base was five centimeters lower. They tell Talkblade that the cellar has been empty since the last major flood of 2018.

One exception: a fully installed water heater under the roof in case of high flood waters. Roger Wangan is a plumber, and knows the rules of the game.

They, who have lived in the house for 21 years, feel that with the new building regulations they will not be allowed to build so close to the river.

– Can something be done to repurpose the cellar?

– No, not in practice. We have a cleaning fluid from the insurance company that works great when there is a lot of water in here. The only solution, quite frankly, is to fill the foundation with rock and bait. But it’s free, say residents near Trisilelva.