Flood damage exceeds €150,000 for Ylivieska homeowner as restoration efforts continue

Ismo Viirimaa walks through his home, a 300-square-meter house in Ylivieska’s Niemelänkylä, with a sense of satisfaction, despite the plastic covering the floors, exposed pipes and wires, and missing walls. A major flood last spring severely damaged his house, requiring nearly a complete rebuild. The initial despair has shifted to a more hopeful anticipation.

“I’m confident that this will be a good house,” said Viirimaa, though he acknowledged that moving back in by Christmas, a personal wish, is unlikely. He expects to return around the turn of the year and told the contractor that there is no rush to finish the project hastily.

Viirimaa estimates the flood damages to his home exceed €150,000. “Thank goodness the insurance was adequate. It would have been a complete disaster if the insurance had not covered this,” he added. The insurance will cover restoring the house to its original condition, while Viirimaa expects to pay an additional €25,000 out of pocket for upgrades.

The most stressful part for him was waiting for the compensation decision, which required confirmation from the Finnish Environment Institute that the flood was extraordinary. According to Viirimaa, such a flood had not been experienced in Niemelänkylä, at least not in a century.

Development engineer Mikko Sane from the Finnish Environment Institute stated that the floods in South Oulu in April were the worst in Finland this year, affecting over ten buildings in Alavieska and Ylivieska. As restoration efforts continue, it is expected that around €2 million will be paid out across the flood-impacted areas by insurance companies, with partial payments already made.

Viirimaa worries about the prospect of future floods, as he has not built flood defenses on his property. He notes, “If all surfaces are new, we can’t bring old furniture back in.” As he prepares for the renovations to conclude, he contemplates the new normal: “It’s frightening that spring floods could become regular occurrences.”