1LimburgHoogwater near Arcen
NOS Nieuws•gisteren, 5.37pm
From today navigation on the Merwede canal is possible again, reports the Rivierenland water company. The Merwede Canal connects the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal in Utrecht with the Boven-Merwede Canal near Gorinchem. The canal had been blocked since Thursday due to very high water levels in the Linge.
This afternoon the water company opened the locks of the Arkelse dam and the Asperense dam in the Linge, on the border between Gelderland and South Holland. For this reason Shipping on the Linge is also possible again. Water levels in polders around major rivers are again near normal for this time of year, the water utility said.
The Rhine water level near Lobith reached its highest point yesterday with 14.37 meters above the NAP, but is now falling rapidly again. The Rijkswaterstaat expects the river in Lobith to return to its normal level for this time of year on Wednesday.
Near Maastricht the level of the Meuse has returned to normal. Water levels continue to decrease: no rain is expected in the Ardennes and France.
Markermeer
Another high water peak in the Markermeer is expected this evening in Hoorn. According to the Municipality, the rise in water levels could be even higher than yesterday’s, the previous peak. The wind comes from the east, pushing the water in that direction. Flevoland will likely not be affected by the peak water.
Yesterday the water in Hoorn has already seeped through sandbags in several places, so the municipality is keeping a particularly close eye on the situation, writes NH Nieuws. The peak is expected between 6.30pm and 7.30pm. Rijkswaterstaat will maintain surveillance of the dam around the lake this evening.
ANP Sandbags and big bags hold back water on a street in Volendam
The very high water level of the Markermeer is decreasing, because the water from the IJsselmeer can be drained into the Wadden Sea. As long as the water level of the IJsselmeer is lower than that of the Markermeer, water can be discharged from the Markermeer. Today this happens at the rate of a few centimeters per day, because the east wind pushes the water upwards again. As soon as the wind dies down, the water level will drop faster, water managers expect.
Rijkswaterstaat also opened the drainage sluice in the Oranjesluis complex above Amsterdam. This allows the water from the Markermeer to flow via an alternative route through the North Sea Canal to the North Sea.
Restoration of the Maastricht Dam
The emergency dam in Maastricht is ready, says Rijkswaterstaat. The dam is closed and will only be further strengthened. This means repairs to the spillway dam can begin which broke last Wednesday. Last weekend, Defense Chinook helicopters mostly filled the hole in the spillway with heavy rocks. This caused a decrease in water flow.
It is not yet clear when repair work on the spillway will begin. The same goes for work on a bridge further away, which is on the verge of collapse. An emergency bridge could be built there. The bridge was damaged when a drifting houseboat collided with it. It had been swept away by the wildly flowing water.
Defense Chinook helicopters helped restore broken dam in Maastricht:
Helicopters repair the Maastricht dam
Despite the normal water level of the Meuse, a café in Arcen in Limburg is still suffering from water. It has been trampled on and is up to the owner’s knees.
“We have water almost every year, but never as high as now,” says owner Pieter Verschuren. The motto is to ventilate and clean as quickly as possible. But the cold and frozen nights put a spoke in the wheels. “The remaining dirt clumps together immediately, but the frost definitely makes it more difficult. We still have to wait and see how it turns out,” says 1Limburg’s Verschuren.
Several catering establishments along the Markermeer had to close their doors. In Monnickendam the fish restaurant De Koperen Vis is still open despite the high water. According to the regional broadcaster, the restaurant is “almost in the water”. This shouldn’t ruin the fun. They also reap the benefits of high water. “Disaster tourists come in large numbers and even want to sit on the terrace.”
2024-01-08 16:37:26
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