The glacial outburst flood (jökulsárhlaup) which is currently underway in the Skaftá glacial river in Southern Iceland is the most powerful outburst flood of the river on record. The rate at which the flood, which emerged from beneath the glacier yesterday, has been growing more rapidly than any previous recorded outburst floods in Skaftá river.
Read more: Outburst flood already most dramatic on record, set to reach settled areas by noon
Submerged fields and roads
The flood has already reached settled areas, submerging roads and fields. According to the local newspaper Morgunblaðið farmers in the area have never seen anything like the current flood. The river has broken through flood defence walls and embankments destroying and submerging fields, and is threatening many more. Farmers interviewed by Morgunblaðið say the destruction is significant as “everything has been flooded”.
Scientists at the Icelandic Meteorological Office who were monitoring the river from a gauging station by the Sveinstindur mountain lodge had to evacuate the lodge. The local news site visir.is reports the scientists evacuated the lodge when the river had reached its doorstep, spending the night in tents further up in the hill. Police officers who were driving to the Hólaskjól highland centre had to turn around when they discovered the river had submerged the road.
Will reach maximum discharge by the ring road on Saturday
According to an announcement on the website of the Icelandic Meteorological Office the flood is expected to reach the maximum discharge in the lower parts of Skaftárdalur valley during the early hours of Saturday, 3 October. The flood will be at the ring road on Saturday.
Read more: Life threatening gas emissions in the Skaftá glacial outburst flood
As the river swells it flows over the sands and lava fields of the south coast. The flood is not expected to destroy bridges, but it can submerge stretches of the road. The accompanying map shows where the flood is likely to spread toward the ring road on the road to Kirkjubæjarklaustur village.
The glacial outburst flood (jökulsárhlaup) which is currently underway in the Skaftá glacial river in Southern Iceland is the most powerful outburst flood of the river on record. The rate at which the flood, which emerged from beneath the glacier yesterday, has been growing more rapidly than any previous recorded outburst floods in Skaftá river.
Read more: Outburst flood already most dramatic on record, set to reach settled areas by noon
Submerged fields and roads
The flood has already reached settled areas, submerging roads and fields. According to the local newspaper Morgunblaðið farmers in the area have never seen anything like the current flood. The river has broken through flood defence walls and embankments destroying and submerging fields, and is threatening many more. Farmers interviewed by Morgunblaðið say the destruction is significant as “everything has been flooded”.
Scientists at the Icelandic Meteorological Office who were monitoring the river from a gauging station by the Sveinstindur mountain lodge had to evacuate the lodge. The local news site visir.is reports the scientists evacuated the lodge when the river had reached its doorstep, spending the night in tents further up in the hill. Police officers who were driving to the Hólaskjól highland centre had to turn around when they discovered the river had submerged the road.
Will reach maximum discharge by the ring road on Saturday
According to an announcement on the website of the Icelandic Meteorological Office the flood is expected to reach the maximum discharge in the lower parts of Skaftárdalur valley during the early hours of Saturday, 3 October. The flood will be at the ring road on Saturday.
Read more: Life threatening gas emissions in the Skaftá glacial outburst flood
As the river swells it flows over the sands and lava fields of the south coast. The flood is not expected to destroy bridges, but it can submerge stretches of the road. The accompanying map shows where the flood is likely to spread toward the ring road on the road to Kirkjubæjarklaustur village.
