In August 2023, Norway was hit by the powerful storm "Hans," which brought record-breaking rainfall and caused widespread flooding across large parts of the country. Many communities suffered extensive damage, but some were fortunate to have the Haawal flood barriers on hand.
Drammen Municipality’s Preparedness
One of the success stories comes from Drammen municipality. Back in 2018, they had the foresight to purchase Haawal barriers in anticipation of a flood expected at the time. While that event passed, the barriers have been an important part of their preparedness including five years later when storm Hans struck. Since Haawal barriers are designed to be reusable, Drammen was able to deploy them to combat “Hans”—and will also be an important tool for future flooding as well.
(The barrier being set up for the first time, in 2018)
(The barrier mounted for the second time, in 2023)
A Race Against Time
The sudden rainfall left little time for preparation, and Drammen’s emergency teams were forced to set up the barriers under challenging conditions—at night, and in the pouring rain. In just four hours, they successfully installed 450 meters of barrier. The barriers held strong, protecting the municipality from what could have been devastating water damage.
A Wise Decision: Leaving the Barriers Standing
After the floodwaters receded, the municipality made the clever choice of leaving the barriers in place. This was because the flood had left the ground saturated with water, meaning a smaller amount of rain could potentially create an even worse flood than the first time around. Their caution paid off as just two weeks later, another heavy downpour caused even higher flood levels than the first. Thanks to the barriers, Drammen municipality once again avoided major damage.
Aftenposten wrote an article about the use of the Haawal system in Drammen, which you can read here.
" Gives the flood barrier top marks" Director of Infrastructure and Public Spaces,
Drammen Municipality