Storm tides of the North Sea

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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 m (17 ft) above the normal tide. Compare to storm surge.

For the protection from storm tides, long and high dike systems have been built, especially in the Netherlands, northern Germany and Denmark. 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 26th, Netherlands, more than 2,400 deaths
1012, September 28th, Netherlands, several thousands of deaths
1064, February 16th, 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
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 13th, Saint Lucia flood, Netherlands, formation of Waddenzee and Zuiderzee, 50,000 - 80,000 deaths
1288, February 5th, 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 23rd, Netherlands, several thousands of deaths
1362, January 15th, 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 19th, first Saint Elisabeth flood, Belgium and Netherlands, major loss of land
1421, November 19th, second Saint Elisabeth flood, Netherlands, storm tide in combinatio with extrem high water in rivers due to heavy rains, 10,000 to 100,000 deaths
1421, November 18th, 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 5th, Sint-Felix 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 1st, 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 12th, Saint Martin flood, Netherlands, 1586 deaths
1703, December 7th (according to English calendar November 27th), England, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany, many thousands of deaths
1707, December 24th, Christmas flood, Netherlands, Germany and Scandinavia, more than 14,000 deaths
1825, February 3rd, Netherlands, 800 deaths
1916, January 13th, 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.
1962 (Hamburg-Flut) flooded one fifth of Hamburg and claimed 315 lives.

[edit] References

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