OAN’s Abril Elfi
4:12 PM – Thursday, February 1, 2024
Norway’s biggest storm in over 30 years has ripped off house roofs, cut power lines, and even raised fears regarding avalanches.
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On Thursday, hurricane-force winds, bringing gusts of up to 112 miles per hour, hit a number of areas with a new national record high-wind speed of 121.7 miles on the island of Soemma, according to the Norwegian Meteorological Institute.
Police stated that a bus with 14 passengers in a small town near Laerdal was even blown off a road, however,no injuries were reported from that particular incident.
Many schools, roads, tunnels, and bridges were shut down due to the storm and an estimated 12,000 residences lost power.
The Meteorological Institute issued a warning alert for the Arctic region as well as several warnings that highlighted the possibility of future avalanches.
Bodoe, a town in the Nordland district, had windows blown out of a local hotel, according to police, who also said that downtown Bodoe was later closed off because “there is a danger to life and health.”
On Hinnoeya, the largest island in Norway, the University Hospital of North Norway reported that a portion of the roof had been severely damaged. A helicopter landing pad covered in debris was visible in images published by Norwegian media outlets.
Harstad town spokesperson Øivind Arvola told reporters that “roof tiles were flying everywhere throughout the town.””
A police spokesperson for the Troendelag region, Bjørnar Gaasvik, spoke to the Norwegian news agency NTB and explained that the public safety agency received between 40 and 50 reports from storm-affected individuals over the night, and even more were anticipated on Thursday.
The storm passed over the same region as one of the strongest storms to ever hit Norway back in 1992.
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