Hurricane Gudrun swept across Denmark, southern Sweden and Estonia in 2005 © Södra/Lars Malm

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Ten years after Hurricane Gudrun

Article by Mario Matzer, translated by Robert Spannlang | 08.01.2015 - 00:01

Favourable weather kept beetle-damage in Swedish forests smaller than feared

Ten years ago, one of the most momentous cyclones swept across northern Europe. From 8 to 9 January 2005, hurricane Gudrun caused damages of around 75 million sm³ of windthrow timber in south Swedish Götaland. With about 40 million sm³ and the harvest volume of four years on the ground, the Södra Group forests were hit the hardest. After a comprehensive extraction of the damaged timber, approximately 10 million sm³ were placed in stock. By the end of 2009, the last of these deposits was closed.

"We have been very lucky"

Today the ecological balance in Southern Sweden’s forests is restored. "In addition to planting of trees, natural regeneration developed quite well on the windfalls areas", says Göran Örlander, forestry manager of Södra. "The damage was not as bad as we had initially feared", Örlander adds. "As fas as the subsequent weather conditions and consequently the low bark beetle population in 2005 is concerned, we have been very lucky."