Heavy rainfall causes flooding at Jyväskylä Pavilion in Central Finland

In Central Finland, heavy rainfall over Friday and Saturday resulted in amounts exceeding the average for the entire month of August, according to the Finnish Meteorological Institute. Water inundated recently renovated exhibition halls at the Jyväskylä Pavilion, two of which are designated for use by the Jyväskylä City Theatre. Juha Rahko, CEO of Jyväskylän Messut Oy, reported that water flooded all the halls on Friday due to a malfunctioning drainage pipe in the new large theatre auditorium, causing water to pour from the ceiling into the audience area. Only the Encore hall, converted into a concert hall a year ago, remained dry.

Fortunately, the staff and the theatre’s moving team were present when the flooding occurred. They managed to dry the floors using industrial vacuums and scrapers, ensuring the city theatre can commence its season as scheduled on September 20. Events continued despite the adverse conditions; a corporate gathering for 500 people was taking place in one hall, while a big band concert by the Air Force orchestra was held on the third floor.

The total area of the Pavilion’s halls is nearly equivalent to three football fields. Rahko expressed concerns about the city’s network being inadequate to handle the massive roof from which rainwater accumulates at select points.

In other areas, cleanup from the storms was ongoing, with reports of erosion and flooding around the city. Vesa Kuitunen, responsible for street maintenance, noted the unprecedented nature of the rainfall over the past decade. While water damaged some carpets and curtains, the financial impacts are expected to be manageable.