Hundreds flee
fierce floods in Norway
by Staff Writers
Oslo (AFP) May 23, 2013
Hundreds of people have been evacuated from their homes in parts
of Norway because of flooding caused by heavy rainfall aggravated
by the spring melting of snow in the mountains, Norwegian media
reported on Thursday.
Some 50 roads were also shut and two railway lines were closed
because of the flooding and landslides.
Southeastern Norway has experienced several days of heavy rains.
On Wednesday, the region registered some 60 millimetres (2.4
inches) of rain, and meteorologists predicted an additional 30
millimetres for Thursday in regions already hard hit.
The geographic spread of the flooding made it difficult for
authorities to provide an exact tally of how many people had been
evacuated, but media reports suggested the figure was around 500.
In the southeastern town of Kvam, ravaged by the rising
floodwaters, some 250 people were forced to leave their homes.
While the flooding caused significant material damage, no injuries
or deaths were reported.
.