[3][4][5] On 16 January 1995, at 6:25 in the morning during a major storm, a 400 meters wide[6] avalanche hit the village, destroying fifteen homes that housed 26 people.

[7][8] Shortly later, fishing trawlers owned by Frosti, who were moored nearby due to the weather, attempted to illuminate the area with spotlights, but were held back by poor visibility and inclement conditions.

Due to extremely bad weather conditions, road access to the town was cut off and rescue units, many of them volunteers, had to be brought by boats from Ísafjörður.

[11] Later in the day, the Icelandic Coast Guard Vessel Týr undertook a 20-hour voyage from Reykjavík through the storm with additional rescue units, medical staff and supplies.

The wave smashed all windows in the bridge and rendered the ships navigational equipment non-operational, forcing it to abandon its mission and seek shelter.