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An evacuation order affecting 259 people has been lifted for nearly all areas as of 6 p.m. Wednesday, according to The Governor of Svalbard.
The order remains in place for residences 522 to 544 on Vei 232 and for the dog kennels just outside of Longyearbyen, with a new assessment of those areas scheduled Thursday. The order has been lifted for those living or staying in Nybyen, the vicinity of Svalbard Church and apartment complexes along Vei 222.
Part of the road to Bjørndalen is damaged and is therefore remains closed, according to a statement from the govenor.
“The cabin areas outside Longyearbyen are not included in the same surveillance as the valley of Longyearbyen,” the statement notes. “People in these areas must take precautions and be cautious.”
There is still a possibility for small landslides from the mountainsides.
“We ask people not to move out into the terrain and to take necessary precautions,” said Gov. Kjerstin Askholt in a prepared statement.
Displaced residents were required to register with the city during the evacuations Monday and Tuesday. Officials at the evacuation crisis center said those residents, as well as those who obtained emergency housing from the city, do not need to “unregister” at the center.
Representatives from governor’s office and Longyearbyen’s municipal government will be at the center from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday to answer any questions from the community regarding the evacuation and the situation on landslides/flooding.
