Storm tides of the North Sea

A storm tide is a tide with a high flood period caused by a storm. Storm tides can be a severe danger to the coast and the people living along the coast. The water level can rise to more than 5 meters (17 ft) above the normal tide. Compare to storm surge.

The North Sea, especially the Netherlands, northern Germany and Denmark is particularly susceptible to storm tides. The coastline of the German Bight forms an L-shape facing northwest. For the protection of the low-lying areas along the coast, long and high dike systems have been built. Storm tides are a regular occurrence in these areas; usually, there are several storm tides each winter. Most of them do not cause significant damage.

Big storm tides were in

• 838, December 26, Netherlands, more than 2,400 deaths
• 1014, September 28, Netherlands, several thousands of deaths
• 1064, February 16, Saint Juliana flood, Netherlands and Germany, several thousands of deaths
• 1170, All Saints flood, Netherlands, marks beginning of creation of Zuiderzee
• 1206, Netherlands, 60,000 deaths
• 1219, Saint Marcellus flood, Netherlands and Germany, 36,000 deaths struck West Friesland
• 1248, a year with three storm tides in The Netherlands with major inundations
• 1277, Netherlands and Germany, formation of Dollart
• 1277, Netherlands and Germany, formation of Lauwerszee
• 1282, Netherlands, separates island of Texel from mainland
• 1287, December 13, Saint Lucia flood, Netherlands, formation of Waddenzee and Zuiderzee, 50,000 - 80,000 deaths
• 1288, February 5, Saint Agathaflood, Netherlands, several thousands of deaths
• 1322, Netherlands and Belgium, Flanders looses all coastal islands, many deaths especially in Holland and Dlanders
• 1334, November 23, Netherlands, several thousands of deaths
• 1362, January 15, Grote Mandrenke (big drowner of men) or Saint Marcellus flood, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and Denmark, created a great part of the Wadden Sea and caused the end of the city of Rungholt; 25,000 to 40,000 deaths, according to some sources 100,000 deaths
• 1404, November 19, first Saint Elisabeth flood, Belgium and Netherlands, major loss of land
• 1421, November 19, second Saint Elisabeth flood, Netherlands, storm tide in combination with extreme high water in rivers due to heavy rains, 10,000 to 100,000 deaths
• 1424, November 18, third Saint Elisabeth flood, Netherlands
• 1468, Ursula flood, should have been more forceful than second Saint Elisabeth flood
• 1477, first Cosmas- and Damianus flood, Netherlands and Germany, many thousands of deaths
• 1530, November 5, St. Felix's Flood, Belgium and Netherlands, many towns disappear, more than 100,000 deaths
• 1532, All Saints flood, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany, several towns disappear, many thousands of deaths
• 1570, November 1, All Saints flood, Belgium and Netherlands , several towns disappear, more than 20,000 deaths
• 1634, Burchardi flood, broke the Island of Strand into parts (Nordstrand and Pellworm) in Nordfriesland
• 1686, November 12, Saint Martin flood, Netherlands, 1586 deaths
• 1703, December 7, Great Storm of 1703, England, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany, many thousands of deaths
• 1717, December 24, Christmas flood 1717, Netherlands, Germany and Scandinavia, more than 14,000 deaths
• 1825, February 3, Netherlands, 800 deaths
• 1916, January 13, Netherlands, due to the many inundations this flood leaded to the construction of the Afsluitdijk, appr. 20 deaths
• 1953 (North Sea flood of 1953) most severe in the Netherlands, leading to the Delta Works, 2533 deaths
• 1962 (Hamburg-Flut) flooded one fifth of Hamburg and claimed 315 lives

See also

• Floods in the Netherlands
• Geography of Germany
• List of settlements lost to floods in the Netherlands

Literature

• Gevaar van water, water in gevaar uit 2001 ISBN 90-71736-21-0
• Methode voor de bepaling van het aantal slachtoffers ten gevolge van een grootschalige overstroming, Ministerie van Verkeer en Waterstaat, Netherlands, 2004