This Icelandic Town Was Wiped Out by a Volcano, but Its Story Isn’t Over
Grindavík, a small fishing town on Iceland’s southern coast, lost everything in a single night in November 2023. Magma forced its way to the surface, splitting open the ground and pushing thousands of residents to evacuate with little warning. Streets cracked, homes shifted, and the place that had once felt steady and familiar suddenly turned dangerous.
Two years later, Grindavík sits in limbo. Parts of it are frozen in ruin, while others are slowly being rebuilt. What remains is a landscape — and a community — trying to decide what comes next.
Grindavík Sat Above Centuries of Pressure
Image via Getty Images/Neil Johnson
Grindavík wasn’t built near a single volcano but on an active rift zone along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. This part of the Reykjanes Peninsula had remained dormant for about 800 years until 2021, when the first eruption in modern memory occurred. Lava surfaced in a remote valley far from homes or businesses, but that changed quickly.
In November 2023, after weeks of earthquakes, magma moved directly beneath Grindavík and forced a full evacuation. The disruption revealed an accelerating volcanic cycle that geologists hadn’t seen in centuries. The ground ruptured in multiple places across the town and caused streets to split and buildings to shift.
Consequently, emergency orders gave residents minutes to leave, with no clear answer about when it would be safe to return. By the time the first eruption ended, experts had already confirmed that this was not a one-time event. The region had entered a new period of intense volcanic activity.
The Evacuation Was Fast and the Damage Was Lasting
On the evening of November 10, earthquakes intensified throughout the land. Just before midnight, authorities gave evacuation orders. By early morning, over 3,700 people had left Grindavík. The decision wasn’t optional because the magma had opened underground pathways directly beneath homes.
In the rush to escape, residents had only minutes to grab essential items. Some left without pets or personal records. Within days, aerial footage showed why the evacuation mattered. Streets no longer connected, the walls had collapsed, and sharp fissures crossed the center of town. In addition to that, a large crack fractured several buildings, and some houses had moved off their foundations.
Over the following months, repeated eruptions in nearby areas kept the town on high alert. While some parts of the place—like the harbor and the church—stayed structurally stable, entire residential areas were marked as unsafe. Scientists described the magma movement as unusually fast and forceful. Several zones have continued to be declared off-limits to this day, as the risk of more eruptions remains high.
A Few Stayed Behind and Found Ways to Adapt
Image via Getty Images/NNehring
Since then, a handful of people have continued operating in Grindavík. The town officially reopened to the public in October 2024, but only a small number of homes became active again. Business owners like Sigurður Enoksson, who runs Herastubbur Bakari, commute in from nearby towns to keep their shops operational a few days each week.
With tourism becoming one of the few steady sources of income, some residents have adjusted their schedules and expectations. One gift shop owner, Vignir Kristinsson, stays in town when he can rent out a small apartment he built above his store. He no longer lives in Grindavík full-time, and his wife has declined to return at all. As schools were still closed and essential services limited, families with children faced the most barriers to returning.
Still, those maintaining a presence in town say their efforts matter. Keeping businesses open signals that the location hasn’t been entirely abandoned—even if recovery remains uncertain.