North Sea flood of 1953
1385513
221254336
2008-06-23T18:54:19Z
Ann Weaver Hart
7215711
/* Warnings */
The '''North Sea flood of 1953''' and the associated storm combined to create a major [[natural disaster]] which affected the coastlines of the [[Netherlands]] and [[England]] on the night of [[31 January]] – [[1 February]] [[1953]]. [[Belgium]], [[Denmark]] and [[France]] were also affected by flooding and storm damage.
A combination of a high spring [[tide]] and a severe [[European windstorm]] caused a [[storm tide]]. In combination with a tidal surge of the [[North Sea]] the water level locally exceeded 5.6 metres above mean sea level. The flood and waves overwhelmed sea defences and caused extensive [[flood]]ing.
Officially, 1,835 people were killed in the Netherlands, mostly in the south-western province of [[Zeeland]]. 307 were killed in the United Kingdom, in the [[county (England)|counties]] of [[Lincolnshire]], [[Norfolk]], [[Suffolk]] and [[Essex]]. 28 were killed in [[West Flanders]], Belgium.
Further loss of life exceeding 230 occurred on watercraft along [[Northern Europe]]an coasts as well as in deeper waters of the North Sea; the ferry [[MV Princess Victoria|MV ''Princess Victoria'']] was lost at sea in the [[North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland)|North Channel]] east of [[Belfast]] with 133 fatalities, and many [[fishing trawlers]] sank.
==North Sea flood in the Netherlands==
In the night of [[31 January]] – [[1 February]] [[1953]] many [[Dike (construction)|dykes]] in the provinces of [[Zeeland]], [[South Holland|Zuid-Holland]] and [[North Brabant|Noord-Brabant]] proved not to be resistant to the combination of [[spring tide]] and a northwesterly storm. On both the islands and the mainland large areas of country were completely flooded with water. Many people still commemorate the dead on [[1 February]].
===Warnings===
At the time of the disaster, none of the local radio stations broadcast at night, and many of the smaller [[weather station]]s operated only during the day, as a result of which the warnings of the [[KNMI]] did not penetrate the flood threatened area in time. People did not receive warning and were consequently unable to prepare for the impending flood. Telephone and [[telegraph]] networks were disrupted, and within hours [[amateur radio operator]]s went in to the affected areas with their home-made radio equipment to form a voluntary emergency radio network. These well-organised radio amateurs worked tirelessly, providing radio communications for ten days and nights, and were the only people maintaining contact with the outside world. In addition to the disaster happening during the night, it was Saturday night. As a result, many offices in the disaster area were unstaffed.
===Resulting damage===
The floods put large parts of Zuid-Holland, Zeeland and Noord-Brabant under water. In [[North Holland|Noord-Holland]] only one [[polder]] was flooded.
The largest floodings occurred on the islands of [[Schouwen-Duiveland]], [[Tholen]], [[Sint Philipsland]], [[Goeree-Overflakkee]], the [[Hoeksche Waard]], [[Voorne-Putten]] and [[Alblasserwaard]]. Parts of the islands of [[Zuid-Beveland]], [[Noord-Beveland]], [[IJsselmonde]], [[Pernis]], [[Rozenburg]], [[Walcheren]] and [[Land van Altena]] were flooded, as well as parts of the areas around [[Willemstad (Netherlands)|Willemstad]], [[Nieuw-Vossemeer]] and parts of [[Zeeuws-Vlaanderen]].
The heaviest death toll was recorded at the islands of [[Schouwen-Duiveland]] and [[Goeree-Overflakkee]].
The government started the Delta-commission to study the causes and effects of the floodings. They estimated that flooding killed 1,835 people and forced the [[emergency evacuation]] of 70,000 more.
Floods covered 9% of Dutch [[Farmland (farming)|farmland]], and sea water inundated 1,365 km² of land. An estimated 30,000 animals drowned, and 47,300 buildings were damaged of which 10,000 were destroyed. Total damage was estimated at that time at 895 million Dutch [[guilders]].
[[Image:Sturmflut 1953 2.jpg|thumb|right|250px|"Een dubbeltje op zijn kant" ("A dime on its side" meaning "A narrow escape"), a sculpture by Roel Bendijk of ''de Twee Gebroeders'' in the Groenedijk]]
====A near catastrophe prevented====
The [[Schielandse Hoge Zeedijk]] dyke along the river [[Hollandse IJssel]] was all that protected three million people in the provinces of [[South Holland|South]] and [[Noord Holland]] from flooding. A section of this dyke, known as the Groenendijk, was not reinforced with stone revetments. The waterlevel was just below the crest and the seaside slope was weak.
Volunteers worked to reinforce this stretch. Nevertheless, the Groenendijk collapsed under the pressure around 5:30 am on [[1 February]]. The seawater moved into the deep polder. In desperation, the [[mayor]] of [[Nieuwerkerk aan den IJssel|Nieuwerkerk]] commandeered the river ship ''de Twee Gebroeders'' (''The Two Brothers'') and ordered the owner to plug the hole in the dyke by navigating the ship into it. Fearing that the ship might break through and dive into the [[polder]], captain Arie Evegroen took a [[row boat]] with him. The mayor's plan turned out to be successful, as the ship lodged itself firmly into the dyke, saving many lives.
===Reaction===
Several neighbouring countries sent soldiers to assist in the search and rescue. The U.S. Army sent helicopters from [[Germany]] to rescue people from the rooftops. [[Queen Juliana]] and [[Princess Beatrix]] visited the flooded area only a few days after. A large aid program came on apace, supported by the radio. A national donation program was started and there was a large amount of international aid. Politically, the disaster prompted discussions concerning the protection and strengthening of the dykes, eventually leading to the [[Delta Works]], an elaborate project involving the closing off of most [[estuary]]-mouths.
==North Sea flood in the United Kingdom==
[[Image:TB 1953 1.jpg|thumb|250px|right|A breach at Erith after the 1953 flood]]
The North Sea flood of 1953 was one of the most devastating natural disasters ever recorded in the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland|UK]]. Over 1,600 km of coastline was damaged, and [[sea wall]]s were breached, inundating 1,000 km². Flooding forced 30,000 people to be evacuated from their homes, and 24,000 properties were seriously damaged.
In individual incidents, 38 died at [[Felixstowe]] in Suffolk when wooden [[prefabrication|prefabricated homes]] in the West End area of the town were flooded. In [[Essex]], [[Canvey Island]] was inundated with the loss of 58 lives and another 37 died when the seafront village of [[Jaywick]] near [[Clacton-on-Sea|Clacton]] was flooded.
The total death toll on land in the UK is estimated at 307. The total death toll at sea for the UK, including the [[MV Princess Victoria]], is estimated at 224.
==North Sea Flood in Flanders (Belgium)==
The coastal defence of [[Flanders]] was also severely damaged. Near [[Oostende]], [[Knokke]] and [[Antwerp]] heavy damage was done to the seadefence with local breaches. 28 people died.
==Response==
In the Netherlands, an ambitious flood defence system was conceived and deployed, called the [[Delta Works]] ([[Dutch language|Dutch]]: ''Deltawerken''), designed to protect the estuary of [[Rhine]] and [[Meuse River|Meuse]]. The works were completed in 1998, upon completion of the storm surge barrier, [[Maeslantkering]], in the [[Nieuwe waterweg]], near [[Rotterdam]].
In the UK, major investments were made in new sea defences, and the [[Thames Barrier]] programme was started to secure central [[London]] against a future storm surge.
==The future==
The threat of another flood on the scale of 1953 remains potent, since the combination of events generating a massive storm surge could recur in normal climatic timescales. In addition, two risk factors could increase the likelihood, or the severity, of another incident. Firstly, the western part of the Netherlands and the south-eastern part of the UK are gradually settling lower as other parts lift higher due to [[Isostasy|isostatic rebound]] after the disappearance of the [[glaciation|glacial]] sheet from the last [[ice age]]. Secondly, sea levels are [[sea level rise|rising]] as a result of [[climate change]], which may also cause more frequent and more severe storms.
Flood barriers, improved weather forecasting, modern communications and sophisticated emergency services may help to reduce the potential loss of life from a future flood. However, this must be balanced by the impact of higher population densities, intensive building in coastal areas and, for the UK, by the decay of coastal defences since the 1950s improvements.
==Films & Music==
*[[BBC]] ''[[Timewatch]]'' made a documentary about The North Sea flood of 1953, called ''The Greatest Storm.''
*An episode of the ITV series [[Savage Planet (TV series)|Savage Planet]] also featured the flood.
*In January 2008 the Brighton-based band [[British Sea Power]] released their 3rd album entitled "[[Do You Like Rock Music?]]" which includes the song "Canvey Island", about the 1953 North Sea floods.
*The Dutch public broadcasting foundation has made numerous documentaries featuring the North Sea flood of 1953. They have also made 2 English versions of what where originally Dutch documentaries. The titles of these documentaries are "The Greatest Storm" and "1953, the year of the beast".
*The 1953 Floods were mentioned in detail in the 2007 Film 'Flood'.
==See also==
*[[List of disasters]]
*[[Floods in the Netherlands]]
*[[List of natural disasters in the United Kingdom]]
*[[List of United Kingdom disasters by death toll]]
*[[North Sea flood of 1962]]
*[[RAYNET]]
==References==
* Kelman, Ilan. [http://www.ilankelman.org/disasterdeaths/1953DeathsUK.doc Assessment of UK deaths, 1953]; study made for CURBE (Cambridge University Centre for Risk in the Built Environment)
==External links==
*[http://www.metoffice.com/corporate/pressoffice/anniversary/floods1953.html Met Office history]
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2706077.stm BBC — future flood risk]
*[http://www.deltawerken.com/89 The Flood of 1953 in the Netherlands]. Report on DeltaWorks.org — includes Animations, Images and Video.
*[http://zdc.zebi.nl/publiek/fotoarchief/groot.php3?recnr=54905 Image of the riverboat "The two brothers" at Groenendijk]
*[http://www.thamesweb.com/page.php?page_id=59&topic_id=9 1953 Floods]
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/understanding/1953_flood.shtml The 1953 East Coast Floods]
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/suffolk/dont_miss/floods/flash_map.shtml Suffolk under water] — BBC Suffolk
[[Category:Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta]]
[[Category:Floods in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Floods in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:History of Lincolnshire]]
[[Category:History of Norfolk]]
[[Category:History of Suffolk]]
[[Category:History of Essex]]
[[Category:History of the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Zeeland]]
[[Category:History of the North Sea]]
[[Category:Natural disasters in England]]
[[Category:Amateur radio emergency communications]]
[[Category:Amateur radio history]]
[[Category:1953 natural disasters]]
[[Category:1953 in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:1953 meteorology]]
[[Category:European windstorms]]
[[de:Hollandsturmflut]]
[[es:Inundación de los Países Bajos en 1953]]
[[fr:Inondation causée par la mer du Nord en 1953]]
[[he:שטפון הים הצפוני (1953)]]
[[nds:Stormfloot vun 1953]]
[[nl:Watersnood van 1953]]
[[nn:Nordsjøflaumen i 1953]]
[[no:Watersnood (1953)]]