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Flooding in Iceland Near Myrdalsjokull

REYKJAVIK, Iceland- Either an excess of geo-thermal heat or a minor volcanic eruption under the Myrdals Glacier in the south of Iceland has caused major flooding in the region. The heat from the volcanic activity within melted parts of the glacier, and the excess water flow has caused rivers to flood their banks. A bridge was [...]

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REYKJAVIK, Iceland- Either an excess of geo-thermal heat or a minor volcanic eruption under the Myrdals Glacier in the south of Iceland has caused major flooding in the region. The heat from the volcanic activity within melted parts of the glacier, and the excess water flow has caused rivers to flood their banks. A bridge was destroyed which has made  route 1, otherwise known as Ring Road, the country’s main traffic artery,  impassable to the south of the glacier.

How to get around Myrdals Glacier and avoid flooding

It is estimated that it will take two or three weeks to for the bridge to be repaired and the highway reopened. Travelers in Iceland must either take Ring Road all the way around to the north of the country to pass between east and west or take a back route north of the glacier that is accessible only to four wheel drive vehicles.

Driving directions:

From Ring Road, take route 261 and route 210 around the Myrdals glacier to the north (see map below). Otherwise, you need to travel on Ring Road all the way to the north of Iceland to get from east or west.

Maps of the flooded area and how to get around the Myrdals glacier

Flooded area from volcanic eruption under the Myrdals Glacier

How to avoid flooding and pass by the Myrdals Glacier to the north

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Filed under: Current Events, Danger, Europe, Iceland, Natural Disasters, Western Europe

About the Author:

I am the founder and editor of Vagabond Journey. I’ve been traveling the world since 1999, through 93 countries. I am the author of the book, Ghost Cities of China and have written for The Guardian, Forbes, Bloomberg, The Diplomat, the South China Morning Post, and other publications. has written 3728 posts on Vagabond Journey. Contact the author.

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VBJ is currently in: Rome, Italy

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