Storm-related forest damage in southern Sweden has resulted in losses estimated at approximately two billion kronor, according to assessments by forestry officials and industry analysts.
More than two million cubic metres of timber were blown down during Storm Dave, which swept across the region over the Easter weekend. The hardest-hit area was Västra Götaland County, where around one million cubic metres of forest were affected. In Jönköping County, officials estimate nearly 500,000 cubic metres of trees were damaged, with similar volumes reported in neighbouring counties including Östergötland, Kalmar, Kronoberg, Halland and Örebro.
The widespread and scattered nature of the damage complicated efforts to assess the full scale of loss, said Mattias Sparf, regional damage coordinator for the Swedish Forest Agency. “The dispersed impact has made estimating the extent of the damage particularly challenging,” he stated in a press release.
Despite wind speeds reaching hurricane force in some locations, the overall impact was described as less severe than initially feared. Officials noted that while individual forest owners may have suffered significant losses, the total volume of fallen timber remained below earlier projections.
The valuation of the damaged timber at roughly two billion kronor is based on consultations with industry experts and reflects current market values for the affected wood stock.
