Roads are closed, cellars are full of water and power boxes are in the water. Last night they saw the water rising by five centimeters per hour at the Kanthoeve recreation park in Bakel. A number of residents are stuck on Boxing Day, unable to move because of the water. “It is a very difficult Christmas,” says resident Simone.
On Christmas Day, water came up from the toilets of at least a hundred houses. In the evening, the situation at the park became increasingly worse, says employee Wendy van der Zalm. “The water rose five centimeters per hour. That is very big, it looked like a river coming this way. The power has gone out at several houses because power boxes are in the water.”
Wendy is having a very troubled Christmas due to the flooding. “Yesterday I had to swallow my food quickly. Until three o’clock last night I called the water board, the municipality and the fire brigade. I even called the mayor. Yet not much was done on Christmas Day,” Wendy sighs.
“When the cellar is full, the house fills with water.”
This Boxing Day is different, a contractor is busy pumping out the water. “I have already driven away ten slurry tanks this morning. Fortunately, it is now dry and the water can drop,” says Niek Strijpers. “A lot of water still needs to be removed from the ditches around the park, so that the water can be moved away from the park. I have to keep working, because tomorrow it will rain again.”
In the meantime, Toon empties buckets full of water. “The water runs in through the vent in the basement,” he says. “My Christmas is wet and we have a lot of problems now.” He empties bucket after bucket onto the street. “I try to prevent worse. When the cellar is full, the house fills with water.”
Migrant workers who live opposite Toon are now stuck. Their house is slightly higher and dry, but around it the water is up to knee height. And so we have to wait inside until the water subsides.
“We just can’t sleep.”
Simone has lived in the park for eleven years and has never experienced this before. “We can no longer leave with the car. The water is very high.” The water is not yet in her house, but she still has major problems. “I can’t do the laundry, I can’t take a shower and we can’t use the toilet properly either. All the water comes back up.”
Simone looks at the water with tears in her eyes. “It’s a very difficult Christmas. I’m tired too, we hear the water coming up all night. We just can’t sleep.”
Toon, Simone and Wendy can breathe a bit of relief. After a restless and anxious Christmas Day, Boxing Day passes without a drop of rain. And the rain in Bakel also seems to be not too bad in the coming days.
ALSO WORTH IT:
On Christmas Day, sewage came up from the toilets
Brabant floods in many places and this is what it looks like