High water levels are a cause for concern in many locations in the Netherlands. But sandbags on the canal are not a problem: in Amsterdam the water level does not reach enormous heights. What’s up with that?
Sterre Marsman and Madelief van Dongen28 December 2023, 18:03
The sandbags are to protect the Deventer quay from the water of the IJssel. On Wednesday afternoon, the Vecht reached a record high of 13.14 above the NAP, 7 centimeters higher than in 1998, when surrounding cities barely avoided flooding. Meanwhile the water level in Amsterdam has returned to normal, says a spokesperson for Waternet.
IJ flooding is not expected. The high water levels elsewhere are caused by the Rhine, which is nowhere near Amsterdam.
In the village of Lobith, where the Rhine flows into the Netherlands, the peak of 14.52 meters above sea level was reached. This water spreads via the Rhine to the rest of the Netherlands, but this river has no connection with Amsterdam’s water, the spokesperson says.
The capital is surrounded by the Amsterdam Rhine Canal, the North Sea Canal and the Amstel. According to the spokesperson, despite the rain, no drastic changes have been recorded there. The locks do their job, the water can be drained and the level is in order.
Alarm phase 1 in North Holland
The water in the Markermeer and IJsselmeer is high due to weather conditions such as heavy rain. Alarm phase 1 has therefore been declared in North Holland, which means that the situation is being closely monitored. However, this has no direct consequences for Amsterdam.
If the water in Amsterdam is too high, it is transported to the North Sea. Only if exceptionally this is not possible, for example due to a storm from the northwest, should the water be discharged into the Markermeer, says a spokesperson for the Hollands Noorderkwartier. According to the spokesperson, such a storm will not arrive.
Front door locked
Last week several closed and closed pumping stations on the Markermeer were closed, the spokesperson said. Then the front door is, so to speak, locked. Water cannot leak into surrounding areas, nor can water be added.
Hollands Noorderkwartier is responsible for water safety inside the dams, but cannot intervene outside the dams. “The risk of flooding in the surrounding areas is increased due to the already high water from the rain, combined with strong winds,” the spokesperson says. For example, parts of the land in Monnickendam were flooded and in Purmerend part of the N244 was washed away.
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2023-12-28 17:03:35
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