Flying Containers Damage Cars at Sortland Harbor During Storm

The gusts took the two containers straight into the cars parked at the harbor at Sortland on Sunday.

There has been a storm in the sheds at Sortland on Sunday, but flying containers are still far from normal, confirms operations manager Einar Glad Hansen at Sortland Havn KF, to the local newspaper Vesterålen online (VOL).

– No, it’s not that. But the containers have large wind surfaces, so unfortunately that can happen. He has been ugly today, and with the wind from an unfavorable direction it can go wrong, Hansen adds VOL.

Things really went wrong for the marine health company Åkerblå, which had two of its three company cars parked in the harbor at Sortland.

– Terrible bad luck

The containers weigh between 3 and 4 tonnes each. Here it was the one who took the other container with them.

And right into two of Åkerblå’s cars, which have now been smashed.

– We had terrible bad luck. Now there is a lot of practicality with the insurance, which must be arranged tomorrow, says regional manager Lisbeth Reinholdtsen in Åkerblå to VG.

The containers at the port in Sortland are handled by Nordtrafikk AS.

The company’s general manager, Jørgen Sollie, says they were prepared for gusts of wind, but not that strong.

– There was a reported 17 meters per second in the throws, and there shouldn’t be any problem for the containers. But then it became 25. I myself was down at the harbor and felt that it was blowing quite strongly. But I did not expect them to fall over, says Sollie to VG.

– Know where we live

This is not the first time one of Nordtrafikk’s containers has been blown away by the wind.

On 8 April 2020, a container blew into the sea at Sortland.

Jørgen Sollie says he is relieved that the cars that were hit were without passengers. He has spoken to the unlucky ones who have lost their company cars.

– It’s sad, but nothing to do about it. I suggested that they be allowed to drive the private cars tomorrow, says Sollie.

He says that the wind took the containers right towards the end of the two-hour storm, and that the storm calmed down again as suddenly as it came.

Sunday evening it’s sunny again, and not a breath of wind in the trees, says Sollie, and sighs:

– It snowed last week. We know where we live.