H. G. SCHEPERS
EEN STORMVLOED TEISTERDE ZUIDWEST
NEDERLAND
met 7 fig., waarvan fig. i als uitslaande plaat achter in de aflevering,
ii foto's en 2 tabellen)
A FLOOD RAVAGED THE SOUTHWEST-NETHERLANDS
SUMMARY
The flood of the early morning of February 1st, 1953, is the heaviest ever
registered in the South Western area of the Netherlands. Its frequency is
estimated as once in about 1000 years in the Scheldt estuary, once in about 500
years in the Rhine-Meuse estuary, and about once in 30 to 70 years in the
Northern part of the country. On an average, the tide ran about 0,5 m higher
than ever before. A violent storm raged. The high tide lasted much longer than
usual. This flood caused much misery and great damage. Firstly about 1780 lives
were lost. Rotterdam and Flushing were partly inundated for some hours
Dordrecht suffered severely. A smaller townZierikzeeand about 75 villages
have been inundated for weeks or months. Railway and road communications
were disrupted.
In the following article, after a short historical introduction, a survey is
given of the results of this flood in the S.W. Netherlands (Fig. I and 2, table 1),
the water-gauge observations during the night of the disaster (Fig. 3 and 4,
table 2), and the causes of the destruction of and damage to the dykes. Next
the state of the restoration of the dykes and the reclamation of the flooded
areas on March 26th, as shown by Fig. 5, are discussed, as also the precarious
state of the island of Schouwen-Duiveland (Fig. 6) where it is feared that, owing
to the size and depth of the gaps in the dykes, the water will only have receded
towards next winter. Further a word or two is devoted to the experience gained
through this flood. Thereafter it is explained that the Minister of Transport
and Public Works has set up a special commission on February 21, 1953, to in
vestigate in how far the Southern tidal inlets of the Rhine-Meuse estuary
should be closed. The Minister's inauguration speech is printed in full as it
provides much information about the proceedings and studies of his department
and of those of the 'Storm flood Commission' of 1939, which had never reached
the stage of publishing an official report.
The Minister stated that the proposed interim advice (1944) of that Com
mission had been a figure 4,00 m to 4,05 m -)- NAP at Hook of Holland, and
that the height of 3,83 m had been reached during the latest flood. This last
figure is relatively somewhat higher than the figure of about 4,00 m because
the latter was intended for the year 2000, therefore including the sea-level rise
during 47 years. Also a water-level rise at Hook of Holland had been added
because of proposed works in the estuary which would effect the tide at Hook
of Holland.
The Minister stated that it would be very difficult to raise the old dykes,
their length being more than 1000 km. Houses, villages, roads, even large towns
have been built on them. The destruction of Rotterdam's centre in 1940, however,
opened the possibility of making a new high embankment along the shore of
the Meuse, already called 'Maas Boulevard'.
The great question to be tackled is whether it will be possible to close the four
inlets between Walcheren and Voorne. The Wester-Scheldt and the Waterway
to Rotterdam will have to remain open because of intensive shipping to Antwerp
and Rotterdam. The closing of the inlets in their mouths will probably be too
difficult, but there may be a possibility farther inland.
