Hurricane in Iceland

As we headed back to Borgarnes, sustained winds increased to around 40 mph with gusts that threatened to flip the car. At Barnafoss I had almost been blown down by the wind when I went to use the restroom. I had to lean against the wind as hard as I could to walk, and cover my face with my hat to keep the sleet from pelting my eyes. On the way back, twice the wind blew so hard that I had to steer to keep the car on the road. We drove to the restaurant at the Settlement Museum in Borgarnes and enjoyed their vegetarian buffet followed by traditional Icelandic rice pudding and hot coffee. When we returned to the Hotel Borgarnes, Thorstin informed us that a local law school was to have a Valentine’s dance that night in the hotel ballroom. He suggested that we allow him to relocate us to the top floor. We agreed and he moved us to room 431 up one floor and on the opposite side of the hotel from the ballroom. We enjoyed a casual afternoon in our room watching the storm blow. I suspect that we’re having sustained winds of over 60 mph, with frequent gusts of over 75 mph. No one can walk outside. We were told that highway 1 down to Reykjavik is closed.Read more