Yesterday’s storm caused damage at the Bláfjöll Ski Resort, just east of Reykjavík, RÚV reports. Einar Bjarnason, operational manager, describes the weather as among the worst he has experienced in the area. The wind was strong and steady and there were severe wind gusts, he noted.
Ski hut window panes broke and roof edges were blown off. “This was completely indescribable,” Einar remarked, but he has worked in the area for more than a decade.
The conveyor belt in Kóngsgil ravine was damaged, even though weight had been put on it to hold it in place. Einar watched it roll up and get torn apart in the wind, so it will have to be replaced.
The cost of the damage remains to be assessed. The ski lifts still need to be checked to make sure lightning, which struck the area between 6 and 7 pm last night, didn’t damage their computer equipment.
Einar is optimistic that repairs will be completed by Saturday morning, when plans are to open the area.
He is thankful that no one was injured and that the damage was not more extensive. He admitted, however, that he likes the challenge and adventure the severe weather brings.
