Our friends in Iceland have had horrible weather the past three days with lots of early snow, cold, and raging winds. Some have been without electricity since Sunday night and the roads have been impassable. Many of the animals were still up in the pastures and now reports say that hundreds of sheep have perished in the storm.
The wind has been slowing down their efforts to clear the snow. Some reports have said that this storm will probably be a new record for snowfall this early in the year. Best wishes, hugs, and prayers are being sent to our friends, family, and the animals in northern Iceland.
The following is from Iceland Review Online’s article posted this morning.
The National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police’s Civic Protection Department has declared a state of emergency in Þingeyjarsýsla district in North Iceland. Hundreds of sheep perished in the storm and 13,000 are yet to be rounded up. Parts of the region are still without electricity after Sunday night’s storm, Fréttablaðið reports.
Landsbjörg assist in the search for lost sheep trapped in the snow.
Up to 250 search and rescue workers will assist farmers with the search for the remaining sheep today. Many animals are believed to have become trapped, some under two to three meters of snow.
High winds and ice brought power lines down in the north.
Chairman of the National Association of Sheep Farmers Þórarinn Pétursson says the situation is serious. “This is nothing short of a natural disaster for sheep farmers,” he stated.
Landsbjörg assist in rescuing sheep trapped in the snow. Photos by Hlynur Snæbjörnsson.
As reported yesterday, rescue teams have been working around the clock to clean up after the damage and assist the Icelandic State Electricity company to restore power to affected areas. Backup generators are being used in the meantime.