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It has been 34 days since the couple Hilde Olsen (63) and Jarle Sæther (59) were at home for the last time. They rushed out of the house in Gjerdrum on the night of December 30, when the rapid landslide of clay hit the small township.
Today they returned home for the first time.
– It feels strange, says Hilde.
– I feel joy, sadness and relief, continue.
In the living room, the Christmas tree is still finished decorating. A star hangs from the window and on the dining room table the tablecloth is ready for New Year’s Eve.
– We had to hug each other and cry a bit when we walked in, says Jarle, who says there doesn’t appear to be any damage to the apartment. It seems they left it.
TOUCHED: The couple hugged and cried a bit when they finally returned home. Photo: Lars E claim Bones
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Come back gradually
His home is located less than 150 meters from where the quick clay slide went, and the thoughts of being back are many.
– I feel like it’s safe to be here, and we trust the professionals who say yes, but I don’t know if I’d sleep here alone tonight, says Hilde.
– That’s why we started by being here a bit during the day. Gradually we will live again, he continues.
The last month has been surreal, say the couple. And sad. They are closely related to some of those who did not survive the landslide.
– We feel double pain, says Hilde.
New apartment rented
It was on Monday of this week that the couple received an SMS that the house in Ask had been freed. They had not thought they would get their home back so soon and therefore they had rented a temporary apartment in Jessheim.
They have decorated it with furniture they have borrowed, as well as things they have picked up for free at Holterhallen. They have also bought something new.
– We had just “landed” in the new apartment when we got the message that we could move home again. If we had known that we could get home so quickly, we would not have rented a new apartment. We have a three-month notice period, the couple explains.
GRADUALLY: The couple, who have rented another apartment in Jessheim, say they will gradually stay home again. Photo: Lars E claim Bones
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– Love Gjerdrum
However, both emphasize that they are happy to get their home back.
– I will be turning 60 on February 14 and I said I was hoping to get home by then. It’s the best birthday present I can get, says Jarle.
– We love this place, Hilde says excitedly. She wipes a tear and receives a hug from her husband.
From the porch they can see the barriers placed around the quick edge. Some windows are illuminated in the windows of neighboring houses. Many are returning today, but not all.
– We love Gjerdrum and hope to return. Perhaps the fact that we are in the newspaper can help someone who does not dare to move the threshold of their house. It would have been good, says Jarle.
RASKANTEN: From the porch they can see the barriers placed around the quick edge. Photo: Lars E claim Bones
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– tired
The couple say they have experienced tremendous care from friends and family after the landslide. At the same time, they describe the weather as demanding. They started the year without a place to live, without clothes and with nothing.
– No one has any idea how much it cost to fix. We were not allowed to keep our old address when we rented the new apartment, nor to use the co-address. Therefore, we had to register a change of address and then we were also asked if we wanted to change our GP. Then came the question of the corona vaccine. We’ll take it in Gjerdrum, says Hilde.
– There has been so much to take care of. We are tired and still in shock, continue.
RACE GROUP: Photo taken from a helicopter of the area where a large landslide and clay landslide destroyed several houses in Ask in Gjerdrum on Wednesday, December 30. Seven people have been found dead and three remain missing. Photo: Gorm Kallestad / NTB / Pool
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Polls
As of this afternoon, some 600 residents were allowed to return to their homes at Ask in Gjerdrum.
– Why is it now safe to return to the areas that have been liberated?
– The landslide cannot develop further in that area, Toril Hofshagen, who is regional manager at NVE, explained to Dagbladet on Tuesday this week.
– After the landslide that occurred on December 30 Our professional advisers at NGI and Muliticonsult have worked on conducting ground investigations in the evacuated areas. Drilling rig investigations have been carried out at more than 40 points, and these investigations, laboratory analysis and geotechnical calculations show that it is now safe to return to the area in question, says Toril Hofshagen.
– Many are terrified
Informative meetings
NVE’s professional advisers have seen how far further development of the avalanche can go, and according to Hofshagen, the last 200 evacuated residents cannot move house until this area is properly secured.
– We are now working full time to prepare reports for publication of all areas that have been evacuated and to which it is recommended to return, says Toril Hofshagen to Dagbladet.
He says the reports will be published in the coming weeks with explanations to make it easier for people in evacuated areas to understand what geotechnical investigations entail. NVE also presents what the municipality wants to organize for informational meetings, to give more explanations and answer questions.
