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What was lost
A summary of the various losses and damage
When in the afternoon of 31st January gales started to strike the
coasts of north-west Europe, no one had the slightest idea that one of the
gireatest disasters in the history of this area was about to occur. Yet the
dpsaster came. Late that evening the waters of the rising tide were swept
ue against and at last over the dikes of the estuary islands in the south -
wst of the Netherlands.
More than 100,000 people were caught in their sleep and 1795 of them
could not escape their fate. In the whole area between Rotterdam and
Antwerp 170,000 hectares1) of land were flooded, of which 141,000 hectares
of fertile farm land. Many of the smaller polders were simply filled like a
bowl. In many others the inflowing water eroded the soft slopes of the
dikes on the land side until the remainder gave way under the pressure
of the water. Through these breaches the sea swept down with devastating
violence on villages, farms and on the main source of livelihood in
the whole area, the agricultural land.
About 2,500 buildings were completely destroyed and some 15,000 more
or less seriously damaged. What became of furniture and other
private property is an easy guess. On the farms 2,300 horses, 21,000 head
of cattle and tens of thousands of hogs and poultry were drowned. A great
deal of machinery and most of the stocks of produce were destroyed
or otherwise lost.
The damage to the land varied from the levelling out of the parcellation
and the washing away of the top soil into the ditches in most of the area
to the complete disorganization of several thousands of hectares. Of the odd
seventy tidal gaps in some cases, due to extraordinary heavy exposure or
soft subsoil, depths of 100 feet and more were reached. The resulting gaps
provided free access for the tidal currents which forced their way inland,
forming winding gullies many miles long, covering the farm land with
thick layers of sea sand and knocking down each day houses and farm
buildings which had withstood the initial flood.
Besides the damage done in its roaring violence, the water had a silent
and strangling effect on agriculture. The salinity of the water was higher
according as the inundation occurred more westward, thus nearer to the
x) 1 hectare 2.47 acre.
Number of farms and houses destroyed and damaged
completely destroyed
damage of
50-1000 guilders
Flooded agricultural area 1953
damage of more
than 3000 guilders
damage of
1000 - 3000 guilders
Each symbol represents 1000 farms or houses
open sea. The effect of salt on the fertility of the soil is twofold and
both conditions are fatal to agriculture.
The sodium component destroys the normal aerated coherence of the
clay crumbs, which are dispersed to form a mushy mass, shrinking and
splitting up into concrete-like lumps when dry. Only under favourable
weather conditions and with cautious treatment something like a suitable
tillage can be obtained and preserved.
Even then the toxical chlorine component prevents the growth of any
agricultural crop when the water contains more than 15 grams of salt
per litreThe normal salt content of sea water being about 30 grams per
litre, it will be clear that in a large part of the flooded area, even after
reclamation, normal agricultural production will be out of the question
for some years to come. Moreover, some 1500 hectares of orchards were
doomed.
The only way to obtain a general insight into what this sad enumer
ation means to the stricken population and to the country as a whole is
to attempt an evaluation of the various items.
The cost of reconstruction of houses and farm buildings is estimated
at about fls. 110 millions. The loss of private, industrial and agricultural
property amounts to fls. 80, 100 and 120 millions respectively. Now and
in the future some fls. 250 millions worth of agricultural production will
not be forthcoming. The restoration of the dikes and other public property,
as also the agricultural recovery work, can still only be roughly estimated
at about fls. 400 millions. Inclusive of some minor items and secondary
effects, the total impact on the Netherlands economy amounts to
fls. 1,200 millions, representing six per cent, of the net national income.
It needs hardly be pointed out what effect this will have on the financial
situation of the country, which was only just recovering from the collapse
during World War II. Apart from the balance of payments being badly
affected by the increased need of imports for replacements and the loss of
export products, the government had to allow for a commitment of just over
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