Evacuating the New town on the Svalbard – VG

the New town to be evacuated after the alert about the storm and snøskredfare.

Currently, it is not appropriate to evacuate the houses under the Sugarloaf mountain, or in Town for the other.

Two people were killed here when it was a avalanches on Svalbard 19. December of last year. Two-year-old Nikoline Røkenes was one of those who lost their lives when the houses under the sugar loaf mountain was moved around by the 5.000 tonnes of snow. Also Atle Society (42) died in the avalanche.

– It is the community board who have responsibility for the evacuation. Decisions are taken on the basis of skredfaglige reviews from the NVE. We follow værutviklingen carefully and have regular contact with them, ” says Terje Carlsen, communications advisor at office of the Governor.

the Amazing powers: lived Here the 24 people

the Storm is coming later in the day

It is notified full storm on Spitsbergen in the afternoon. Geologist and snøskredvarsler Odd-Arne Mikkelsen in the NVE says that the upcoming weather similar to the weather that was when the deadly avalanche went 19. December of last year.

– the Storm comes in the evening or in the night. It is perhaps a little less snow than there was last year, but there is still a lot of wind.

– Is it as bad as last year?

Out from the forecasts and snowy there now, I don’t believe it. But we are doing a review and of course the chance is there, ” says Mikkelsen of the VG.

(the case continues under the video)

Take extra precautions

the Governor and the AUTHORITY has had meetings on Wednesday afternoon, and besuttet to not evacuate more areas.

– Now have the forecasts been shown to vote, and to the opinions NVE have done says that it can go the avalanche, but that they will not reach the settlement, ” says communications advisor Terje Carlsen to VG.

He emphasizes that there is still a great deal snøskredfare, and asking people to stay away.

We’re going to take a new assessment of the need for evacuation in the morning at 09.30, ” says Carlsen.

– NVE announces significant snøskredfare – faregrad 4 Large, and we strongly encourages people not to travel in the terrain, either on foot, on skis or by snowmobile, writing sysselmann Kjerstin Askholt in a press release.

In the heart of the New town, lives in mainly students and tourists, says Carlsen.

– Are you extra on the guard for the avalanche in the last year?

– It is we. We have a skredvarslingssystem in place, and we put life and health first.

– How is the weather now?

It is dark outside, but it looks okay. There is currently no wind, ” says Carlsen from the Governor.

see also: Here loose monsterskredet