Storm's Toll
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tIe Yoi'MG Catholic Messenger lj Febalaii 1953*
The thrifty Dutch people were proud
of their achievement. By hard work,
I aided by almost a billion dollars from
i the United States, they had made a
remarkable recovery from the war.
The lands that had been flooded by the
Nazis had been reclaimed. Business
was normal again. So much progress
had been made that Queen Juliana's
government was able to tell the United
1 States, "We believe we can get along
without more help now. Only buy our
products and send us arms."
Then in a twinkling came disaster.
A cyclone from the Atlantic Ocean
raged into the North Sea. It came dur-
I ing the high spring tides that beat upon
1 the coasts and surged up the rivers,
i The whirling winds caught the flood
j waters and flung them with irresistible
j force upon the land. Dikes, sea walls, 1
docks, crumbled.
The storm was the worst Europe has
.„■„■Mmmi ■■imnii
seen in 500 years. In Holland, Belgium,
and England about 2,000 persons died.
Homes and farms along coasts and
rivers were wiped out. In Holland, the
hardest hit, great holes were torn in
the dikes built to hold back the sea
from the low-lying fields. The salt
j water ruined farms that had just been
j made fertile again.
Prince Bernhard, husband of the
queen, heard the news in New York.
He had come to take part in the cele
bration of that city's 300th birthday.
I At once he hurried home to help the
people start once more on the painful
road to recovery. No one doubted that
j they would reach their goal.
