Reykjavík Grapevine - 21.09.2018, Blaðsíða 14

14 The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 17— 2018
It is known to people with even the
most cursory knowledge of Iceland
that we live on a very geologically active
island. Earthquakes are a constant
occurrence (even if most of the trem-
ors are too small to be noticeable, let
alone threatening) and volcanoes are
not at all rare. The Heimaey eruption
of 1973 kick-started Iceland’s rescue and
evacuation framework in earnest, and
today the Department of Civil Protec-
tion and Emergency Management over-
sees these kinds of operations.
These operations are coordinated
through a complex network involving
geologists, emergency workers, the
police and rescue workers. And for good
reason: the people most in danger in the
event of a severe earthquake or volcanic
eruption aren’t those of us living in the
capital area, but rather the farmers and
other rural folks out in the countryside.
In the event a giant tremor strikes,
or a volcano has a major eruption,
what’s the plan? How are these people
alerted and ushered to safety? We
compiled a few of the higher-danger
areas, how many people live there, and
what the evacuation plan is for each
one. This is based on publicly avail-
able information on the Department’s
website. We didn’t include a number of
the emergency plans that Civil Protec-
tion is ready for— like accidents at sea,
outbreaks of disease at Keflavík airport,
and others—out of the limitations of
page space, but rest assured Iceland has
it under control.
Katla
What is it? The volcano your mom
warned you about. Like most volca-
noes in Iceland, the danger from Katla
doesn’t just come from the possibility
of smoke and ash, but also from glacial
flooding; in Katla’s case, it is partially
capped by Mýrdalsjökull.
Who lives there? There are about 140
people who live in the potential flood-
plain and this includes farms, indus-
tries, smaller workplaces, schools and
residential housing.
How do they get them out? Everyone
who lives in the area is sent a text
message from the police telling them to
evacuate the area. Residents are asked
to hang a sign, either on their front
doors or in some other visible spot,
indicating that they have left. Rescue
workers then quickly but thoroughly
comb through the area to make sure
everyone has left, while other rescue
workers wait outside of the floodplain
to welcome the evacuees.
How long do they have to evacuate?
This depends on where they live. Those
to the east or west of Katla can have up
to half an hour to evacuate, but people
living in Vík, a village on the south
coast, will have a mere 15 minutes to
pack up and clear out. For this reason,
many residents in the area reportedly
have a packed bag ready in case of emer-
gency.
Eyjafjallajökull
What is it? Iceland’s celebrity volcano,
and arguably the precursor to the tour-
ism boom. When this volcano erupted
in 2010, it sent up an enormous plume
of ash that blanketed the area and swept
as far west as Reykjavík.
Who lives there? Over 3,000 people
live in all of Rangárvallasýsla, but it is
unknown if all of these people would
need to evacuate, given the sheer size
of the area.
How do they get them out? The police
will call landlines with a recorded
message and send text messages not
only to all residents, but to all summer
houses and recreation centres. Evacu-
ees will hang a sign on their front door
indicating that they have left. Rescue
workers sweep the area to be sure it’s
all clear and there will be evacuation
centres just outside the area, mostly
comprised of local schools, staffed by
rescue workers ready to welcome the
evacuees. Tour companies who are in
the area in the event of an evacuation
call must have their own evacuation
plans in place
How long do they have to evacuate?
Approximately 30 minutes.
Earthquake!
What is it? Earthquakes can happen
pretty much anywhere in Iceland, but
the strongest ones occur along a ridge
that stretches roughly from Reykjanes
to Eyjafjörður. This is effectively the
seam that connects the European and
North American continental plates.
Who lives there? Damn near everybody.
How do they get them out? Unlike
volcanoes, earthquakes often give little
warning of their impending arrival. A
few small tremors might be followed
by a major earthquake seconds later,
or peter out completely. As such, the
emergency response to earthquakes
has more to do with responding after
they’ve already struck, rather than
clearing people from an area where
they are about to occur. This involves
the cooperation of pretty much every-
one: the police, rescue workers, the fire
department, the Red Cross and related
parties.
How long do they have to evacuate?
See above.
Öræfajökull
What is it? A fearsome, ice-covered
volcano in southeast Iceland, just a few
clicks west of Jökulsárlón.
Who lives there? A few farms are
very close by, but the evacuation area
stretches from Kirkjubæjarklaustur to
Höfn because - you guessed it! - glacial
flooding. There’s also Hótel Skaftafell,
and various people wandering in the
area on any given day.
How do they get them out? Police are
dispatched from Kirkjubæjarklaustur in
the east, and from Höfn to the west, to
assist in evacuations. Ambulances and
rescue workers follow. The Red Cross
and the rescue squads wait outside the
evacuation area to receive evacuees.
How long do they have to evacuate?
Anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes,
depending on their exact location.
Hekla
What is it? THE GATEWAY TO HELL,
according to 12th century Cistercian
monks. Like Mt. Vesuvius, it’s a strato-
volcano, meaning it looks like an actual
volcano. Close enough to Reykjavík to
make half the country a bit nervous
when it erupts, which is pretty often.
Who lives there? Apart from the nearby
farms, there are also the villages of
Hella and Selfoss, as well as Reykjavík
not very far away.
How do they get them out? Civil Protec-
tion alerts the police, and they send out
a mass text to all people in the area via
the emergency number. The police,
along with rescue workers, then sweep
the area to make sure everyone is out,
and rescue workers wait outside the
evacuation area to receive evacuees.
How long do they have to evacuate?
Depending how far away they are, it can
be as little as 10 minutes and up to half
an hour. If there is any danger of an ash
cloud or lava flow from Hekla reaching
the capital area, residents would likely
be evacuated both west into Reykjanes
and north into the Akranes and Borgar-
nes region.
The Alarm:
How Iceland
Responds
To Natural
Disasters
How do you rescue remote villagers
from earthquakes and volcanoes?
What to do
when the
sh*t goes
down
The Icelandic
agency for
Emergency
Management
is surprisingly
thin on the
ground when it
comes to online
communication
channels in
English, although
they have a
phone number,
(+354) 444 2500.
The safetravel.
is website has
an alertbox on
the front page,
regarding
hazards big
and small. Even
when there's no
major calamity
going on, check
in before your
trip to see if
there's a special
precaution you
should make.
The end of the world as we know it: but don't worry, emergency plans are in place
Words:
Andie Fontaine
Photo:
Garðar Ólafsson /
Shutterstock