Floods Devastate Towns in Sweden
The flood is coming here
Places like Sala, Rättvik, or even Västerås rarely make an impression on the news feed. The last few days and weeks have been a bit of an exception.
The torrential rain has flooded streets and stopped the trains. Dams are at risk of bursting, and on Monday, a red warning for landslides still applied at Svartån in Västerås.
At a majority of SMHI’s measuring sites, August was record wet. And in Västmanland and Gävleborg, the weekend’s rain flows that normally only occur once in 50 years.
Washed Away Roads and Embankments
When the water disappears, washed away roads and embankments, water-damaged buildings, and destroyed crops remain. Insurance matters and reconstruction. And a lot of mosquitoes.
It pretty much says that we do best to get used to it. Climate models are predicting more extreme weather, and the downpours in recent months have undeniably been extreme.
That is why the national political disinterest in the floods and everyone affected feels so strange.
Appeared in Rättvik
A few days after the storm Hans, the Minister for Civil Defence, Carl-Oskar Bohlin appeared in Rättvik and Orsa. Maybe not so strange. After all, Bohlin comes from Borlänge, just a few miles downstream of Siljan.
The minister could look at the devastation. Lots of roads washed away and facilities flooded. Municipal crisis management on the toes and a concern for socially important functions such as drinking water supply.
Carl-Oskar Bohlin was able to tell us that the Swedish Transport Administration set aside SEK 30 million to support road associations that were affected by the storm. The money can be applied for throughout the year, and the most damaged roads end up first in the queue.
Made it Sound Generous
The minister made it sound generous. Of course, it isn’t. 30 million will not even be enough to restore a fraction of what was destroyed. The money can also only go to certain road associations.
Municipalities and others affected must solve their problems in some other way.
The insurance companies are already talking about increased premiums. It may even be relevant not to insure flood damage. And the Financial Supervisory Authority is discussing whether the companies should have a special buffer.
On the Way to Stockholm
The water from Västerås is on its way to Stockholm. The lock probably won’t flood this time, and the subway certainly won’t fill with water.
But it is time for the government and national politicians to take the issue of disaster preparedness seriously. A few million to the country’s road associations is not the answer.
Is the government taking this summer’s floods seriously enough? And does Sweden have sufficient preparedness for extreme weather events?
In the chat, Ingvar Persson discusses with the readers.