Floodwater reaches buildings in Vík as high tide approaches

Floodwater has begun reaching buildings and covering roads in the eastern industrial district of Vík in Mýrdal, mbl.is reports. High tide is expected at 9 p.m., and the water could reach more buildings.

“We have been carrying out evacuations, and now the water is reaching buildings,” Orri Björnsson, head of the Víkverji rescue team, told mbl.is. The buildings are industrial premises on Smiðjuvegur and were built about a year ago, he said.

Some roads in the district have also flooded. Asked whether the Ring Road near Vík was at risk, Björnsson said it was not at the moment, but added that high tide was still some time away and the possibility could not be ruled out.

Police in the South Iceland region warned earlier in the day of high sea levels and large waves near the south coast. The Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration had forecast a high, heavy southerly swell of more than eight metres just off Vík. The waves were expected to peak around 9 p.m.

During similar conditions last December, water flooded the highway. The Blika Facebook page said on Wednesday evening that wave heights at 6 p.m. were about three metres higher than forecast.