Sandbags have been placed on the Durgerdammerdijk Image Hooghemraadschap Hollands Noord
It remains exciting, especially around the Markermeer. Over the next few days the wind will shift to the north-east, meaning homes outside the dam could flood. “Since it is not possible to drain into the IJsselmeer, the situation in Edam, Volendam and Hoorn remains worrying,” a spokesperson for the Water Services Union said.
The water level in the Markermeer is high and the dike in the southern part of the dam has been destroyed and still needs to be strengthened, Waterland Mayor Marian van der Weele said on Thursday evening. “We understand the concern.” After an inspection on Thursday evening, the Rijkswaterstaat concluded that, according to the municipality, water will not break or cross the southern section of the dam.
“At this time the alarm values have not been reached.” The weather forecast has also become more favorable, according to the municipality. Dam guards responded Thursday evening from 11 p.m. “We will continue to monitor the situation closely over the next few nights and days,” the municipality wrote.
On the dike near Durgerdam, Hoogheemraadschap Hollands Noorderkwartier placed sandbags over a length of 300 metres. Strong north-east winds, expected in the coming days, may push water from the Markermeer towards Durgerdam and push it upwards. “Because small differences in wind direction can lead to large differences in impoundment, we are erring on the side of caution,” the water utility said in a message on the site. According to the shelf there are no safety risks.
Houseboat destroyed
On Wednesday, after a dam broke, a lot of water poured into the Maas river near Maastricht, right where thirty houseboats were moored. They have been evacuated: the residents have been put up in hotels or are staying with family members. A houseboat broke away and rammed a bridge over the Stuwweg. He looked like he was about to collapse, but he’s still standing.
The inhabitant of the adrift houseboat still can’t figure it out. “What should I say?” looks sad from Irma Brands to a local news channel. “There’s not much to say when you’ve lost your home.” Fire Chief Luc Valent said he expects residents will not be able to return until Sunday.
Rijkswaterstaat is studying the best way to repair the dam. One option is to use huge boulders from Belgium to close the hole in the dam. The stones are already on their way, Rijkswaterstaat reports. The nets for those stones alone weigh 8,000 kilos.
The Rijkswaterstaat dam guards were sent to Marken. Image Sam de Joode/ANP
Dassenburcht
High water in the Maas led the Aa en Maas Water Board on Thursday to urgently remove a badger from the dike along the Maas in Sint Agatha (municipality of Land van Cuijk) in North Brabant. A set of badgers is protected, just like the animal itself.
The council had already planned to remove the castle in a nature-friendly way, but high water is expected on the Maas near Sint Agatha on Saturday and the castle could therefore put water safety at risk, according to the council: “The castle was very close to the dam and we didn’t know what the damage was in the dam. The corridors could cause a break in the dam and a flood. That’s why urgent action was needed.”
Sandbags
Residents near Geul in Limburg also filled sandbags. In 2021, some locations in that region experienced significant flooding. MP Michael Theuns (Water, CDA) from the province of Limburg can “well imagine” people’s worries after 2021. “It’s terrible to have to deal with high water and damage again.” However, he says the situation is currently manageable.
The Maas river reached its highest level on Thursday, discharging 1,700 cubic meters of water per second. This is expected to increase to 1,800 cubic meters per second, after which the level will fall, Rijkswaterstaat predicts. A peak water level in the Rhine is expected on Sunday or Monday.
Even in this case the risk of flooding is minimal. In the meantime, measures are being taken in several places to combat high water. Seven water storage facilities in Friesland were flooded. This is necessary because the rivers and streams are chock-full of water. Overflow areas are also used in other places to distribute the amount of water.
Skating
It is expected to freeze hard next week, but for now water companies must keep pumping water. This is not conducive to ice growth. “Water flow rates remain high,” a spokesperson for the Union of Water Boards said. Furthermore, the water temperature is still quite high, which does not help with a thick layer of ice. “You have the best chance of skating on flooded polders.”
High water levels have minimal impact on inland navigation. The Oranjesluis, between the IJ and the Outer IJ, are closed, preventing ships from proceeding. The canal from Ghent to Terneuzen is also temporarily blocked. This gives Belgium the opportunity to drain the water into the Western Scheldt.
The website overstroomik.nl has been visited en masse in recent weeks. On the site you can enter your postcode or address and see how high the water could reach in the event of a flood. There is also advice on what to do in the event of a flood. The site was completely down on Thursday due to the huge crowd.
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2024-01-05 06:50:00
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