Rescue teams have worked throughout the day to clean up after the damage left from yesterday’s wild weather.
The storm took down power lines in the north.
Landsbjörg search and rescue (ICE-SAR) teams received between 60-70 requests for assistance yesterday, mostly in the Westman Islands and North and Northeast Iceland, the areas hardest hit by the storm, and helped more than 100 tourists traveling around the country. In one case, 34 tourists were rescued from their cars north of Dettifoss waterfall and taken to Grímsstaðir á Fjöllum where they spent the night, according to a statement by Landsbjörg.
Rescue teams also assisted the Icelandic State Electricity company in their work to repair the damage done to power lines. As reported earlier, the damage to power lines is the worst in North Iceland in 17 years and left many in the region without power yesterday.
It will reportedly take two to three days to complete the repair of power lines between Laxá power station and Kópasker in Northeast Iceland, mbl.is reports. Backup generators are being used in the meantime.
Landsbjörg assist in rescuing sheep trapped in the snow. Photos by Hlynur Snæbjörnsson.
Between 15 and 20 centimeters of snow fell in parts of North and Northeast Iceland on Sunday night. Dozens of animals are believed to have become trapped in the snow and farmers requested help rescuing the animals. Elín Baldvinsdóttir, a farmer in Bárðardalur, Northeast Iceland, told mbl.is that she found some of her sheep alive under two to three meters of snow.
Conditions have been fine in most parts of the country today.
ZR
