238THE ILLUSTRATED LONDON NEWS
FEBRUARY 14, 1953
NEAR THE VILLAGE OF KRUININGEN, WHOSE 2500 INHABITANTS WERE ORDERED TO LEAVE A BURST DYKE ON THE ISLAND OF SOUTH BEVELAND.
ABANDONED TO THE DESTRUCTIVE FORCES OF THE FLOOD A DUTCH FARMSTEAD AT ST. MAARTENSDIJK, ON THE ISLAND OF NORTH BEVELAND.
THE BURST DYKES OF HOLLAND SCENES OF DEVASTATION ON THE ISLANDS OF NORTH AND SOUTH BEVELAND.
On February 6 it was conservatively estimated by a leading Dutch
Government engineer that 150 dykes had been broken by the flood-waters
in the Netherlands and that about 450,000 acres of the best farmland had
been inundated. The islands of North and South Beveland, in Zeeland
Province, have suffered severely and when a dyke burst near Kruiningen,
on South Beveland, the 2500 inhabitants were ordered to leave and the
island has now been completely evacuated, leaving the flood-waters to swirl
round the abandoned homes and farmsteads, but the military route along it
has been kept open to connect Walcheren with the mainland. On February 5
it was reported that more dykes had been breached on the island of Goeree-
Overflakkee, where therd>were still hundreds of people, but with the arrival
of aircraft, including helicopters, small boats and large rubber life-rafts, the
task of moving such large numbers of people from their homes across miles
i of water has become easier.
