Norway's most powerful storm in over 30 years leaves a trail of destruction
Residents of central Norway have awoken to scenes of havoc and homes without power following the country’s most powerful storm in more than three decades
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Residents of central Norway awoke to scenes of havoc and homes without power Thursday following the country's most powerful storm in more than three decades.
Hurricane-force winds hit parts of the Scandinavian country, with gusts of up 180 kilometers per hour (112 miles per hour). Near Laerdal, a small, picturesque town northeast of Bergen, Norway’s second-largest city, a bus with 14 passengers was blown off a road, though no injuries were reported, police said.
Some areas were flooded, and airlines and ferry operators temporarily suspended service. There were scattered reports of closed schools, roads, tunnels and bridges both Wednesday and Thursday.
Hurricane-strength gusts also were reported overnight in Sweden. The Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute issued a red warning for the western part of the Norrbottens district, which borders Norway.
The storm, named Ingunn by Norwegian meteorologists, landed in central Norway on Wednesday afternoon before moving north Thursday. The Meteorological Institute had issued a red warning, its highest alert, for the Arctic region.
Several windows were blown out of a hotel in Bodoe, a large town in the Nordland district, police said. Downtown Bodoe was later sealed off because “there is a danger to life and health,” according to police. University Hospital of North Norway said parts came loose from its roof antenna in Harstad, and photos in Norwegian media showed a helicopter landing pad littered with debris.
Bjørnar Gaasvik, a police spokesman in the Troendelag region, told Norwegian news agency NTB that the public safety agency received between 40 and 50 reports overnight from people affected by the storm and more were expected Thursday.
Sigmund Clementz of IF insurance told Norwegian newspaper VG that it was too early so estimate the cost of the storm damage.
South of there in Denmark, the Storebaelt bridge linking two major Danish islands, was closed to vehicles with lighter trailers because of strong winds.
The storm hit the same area as a 1992 New Year’s hurricane, one of the strongest storms in Norway’s history, the newspaper VG wrote.