International Symposium on Mitigative Measures against Snow ...

<strong>International</strong> <strong>Symposium</strong> on Mitigative Measures against Snow Avalanches
Egilsstaðir, Iceland, March 11–14, 2008
The effect of avalanches on the spatial development of settlements
in Iceland
Harpa Grímsdóttir
Icelandic Meteorological Office, Avalanche Research Center, Árnagata 2−4, IS-400 Ísafjörður, ICELAND
e-mail: harpa (at) vedur.is
ABSTRACT
The planning history and spatial development of Icelandic settlements is discussed in the light
of avalanche history. During the first decades of urbanisation in Iceland, most towns developed
without an official plan. Avalanches had very little effect on the spatial development of
settlements at that time, unless they had caused death or great destruction. In the 1920s, the
first planning laws were authenticated. The first plans were an attempt to steer the
development of settlements away from paths of known avalanches. In many cases, the plans
expanded later into known avalanche areas. In the 1960s and 1970s, the population of many
fishing towns grew rapidly and houses were built closer to the mountains than before. In the
20 th century, up until 1995, there are many examples of houses and buildings being constructed
in the paths of known avalanches within 10−20 years after the avalanche’s
occurrence. In 1985, the first laws on avalanche protection were approved. New laws and
hazard mapping legislation were issued after the avalanche disasters in Flateyri and Súðavík
in 1995. Since that time, estimated avalanche risk, and not only known disastrous avalanches,
has for the first time had a significant effect on the development of towns in Iceland.
INTRODUCTION
The Icelandic nation has always lived with natural hazards. Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes
and landslides have caused great damage. However, snow avalanches have taken the greatest
number of human lives through the centuries, when fatalities due to storms at sea and
wilderness areas are excluded. During the first centuries after the settlement of Iceland, the
greatest number of avalanche victims were people travelling in the mountains. After the
urbanisation began during late 19 th century, most avalanche victims in Iceland have been in
houses or working places. In this paper, the effect of avalanches on the spatial development of
villages in Iceland is discussed. The conclusions are partly based on comparison of avalanche
maps of Icelandic villages to maps made by the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO), that
show the building years and location of houses and buildings in towns where avalanche
hazard is significant.
THE FIRST DECADES OF URBANISATION IN ICELAND
Iceland was settled in the years 870−930. Most farms in the mountainous regions in Iceland
were located close to running water and, therefore, often beneath gullies. The houses were turf
houses that did not last for very long and they were rebuilt and even relocated a bit quite
frequently. As a result, it seems like the farms often ended up in the best possible location
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