The County Administrative Board Västmanland on Wednesday released its investigation into the torrential rains in September last year. There it appears that the affected municipalities had not taken sufficient measures, despite weather warnings and a previously rainy late summer.
Months before the downpour, staff from Sala municipality had visited Gävle to learn about their experiences from the floods in 2021. For example, cleaning wells and reviewing electricity in properties.
The floods in Västmanland in 2023
Multi-million pound for Sala municipality after the floods in Västmanland
The family had half the house destroyed by the floods in Sala: “It’s chaos”
“Unfortunately, these measures did not have time to be implemented in Sala before the flood event,” writes the county administrative board.
Preparedness for extreme weather in Västmanland
The County Administrative Board believes that preparedness for extreme weather must be improved, for example that ditches, embankments and waterways are cleaned and dredged. One challenge is erosion at homes near watercourses, which increases the risk of landslides.
– Individual companies and property owners also have a clear responsibility. Unfortunately, we also see that not all residents realize the seriousness of the risks of landslides and landslides. On several occasions, people in the area defied cordons. It could have had life-threatening consequences, says Governor Johan Sterte in a press release.
“Water can be very devastating” – hears investigator Richard Hammarström about what went wrong during the floods in Västmanland in 2023.