“Frode” almost destroyed the entire chieftain’s house

Ekstremvêret Frode, or Storm Frode, made landfall on Vestvågøy on the 12^th of October 1996.  One of the most powerful storms in the recent history of Lofoten. Storm Frode is perhaps most infamous for the damage that it wrought upon the longhouse at Lofotr.

The History of Frode’s formation

The genesis of Frode began on the ninth of October 1996. With a low-pressure formation in the Barents Sea, which produced westerly and north-westerly gales along the coast of Northern Norway.  This low pressure combined with a similar low-pressure system in the Danish Strait southwest of Iceland produced Frode on the 10^th of October.  By the 12^th of October, as the storm began to make landfall, winds were being recorded at Bodø Airport with gust over 60 knots. Lofoten reported gusts that exceeded 70 knots. 

Frode was unusually strong for a storm in this region. Unlike most storms that form near Newfoundland—where cold air from the Labrador Sea meets warm Caribbean air—Frode developed southwest of Iceland, following another low-pressure system. While storms that form in the usual location are usually spent by the time they reach Lofoten. Frode was able to draw energy from a cold northern air flow behind it, greatly strengthening the storm before it reached Norway.

Land fall and impacts

The damage caused by Frode was extensive. It was estimated on the 18^th of October 1996 that the total cost was more than 120 million kroner. This estimate was spread across 2,400 claims. It was noted by construction experts that older buildings faired far better than newer structures because of the superior craftsmanship of the old homes.

One of the most noteworthy victims of the storm was Lofotr. Which saw extensive damage from the near hurricane force winds.  The longhouse was almost demolished; from the end of the living quarters to the northern bulkhead wall of the feast hall, the roof was almost completely destroyed and the walls severely damaged.  Fortunately, the roof over the exhibition hall, which at the time was located inside the longhouse, was still mostly intact, protecting the irreplaceable artefacts from the original longhouses.

Aftermath and reconstruction

In the wake of Storm Frode, it was found that the damage to the longhouse, while extensive, was not as severe a challenge as it could have been.  The exhibition of artifacts was spared any damage, as was the chieftain’s seat, and much of the material from the roof that had been scattered by the storm was still in good enough condition to be reused. 

It was estimated that the reconstruction work would be completed by the start of the 1997 tourist season and would cost between three and five million kroner.

Such optimism proved to be well founded, as the longhouse was able to reopen on the 24^th of May 1997, just in time for the start of summer.

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