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1 February 1953

On 1 February 1953, a powerful storm surged from the northwest of the North Sea, driving waves against the dikes. The water level was already unusually high, and in the middle of the night, the situation took a disastrous turn.

Het horloge van René de Smit

Frozen in Time

The water also reaches the village of Duivenhoek. René de Smit tries to prevent the dike from breaking with others, but they are unsuccessful. René is swept away and found days later. His watch had stopped at 04:57.

Zee overspoelt het land

The water floods Zeeland, North Brabant, South Holland, and North Holland. In total, 1,836 people die here. In England and Scotland, there are 326 victims. In Belgium, 25 people die.

Zee overspoelt het land

For the people who survive the disaster, life is hard. Many have lost their family and friends. Jos van Boet from Oude Tonge lost 43 family members.

Many Questions, No Answers

People were often deeply affected by their grief. Why had this happened? And how were they supposed to move on with their lives? Everyone had different answers to these questions.

"We named our newborn daughter after her drowned sister. The pastor also came to visit. He said that the disaster was a punishment from God because our village had held a fair."

— Johan Los, eyewitness of the disaster

Years Later

The disaster had flooded entire areas. Thousands of people had lost their homes and jobs. Some could only return after many years.

Mensen met hebben en houwen

A Deep Scar

The echoes of the disaster lingered for a long time, even for those born afterwards. They often felt the sadness of their parents.

"Our mother was terribly afraid that something would happen to us. We had to start swimming lessons at a very young age. But later, when we went swimming, she would stay in the car. She was too afraid to watch."

— Maria Oorschot, daughter of flood survivors

Not to be undone

We can't undo the pain of the past. However, we can work to prevent the water from causing such devastating harm in the future.

See also
De ramp
Story

Why Was the Flood So Devastating?

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