The water in the Maas is rising sharply again from Wednesday and is expected to reach its peak near Maastricht on Thursday. That water takes three days to reach North Limburg. Maasgouw in Central Limburg has closed roads in several villages that are likely to be flooded.
On Thursday, the Maas reached a water level that occurs on average once every three years, according to the Water Management Center of Rijkswaterstaat. Limburg Water Board expects a lot of flooding. The municipality warns that it is very dangerous to ignore prohibition signs in the floodplains.
The Maas in Limburg also has to process a significant amount of rainwater from France and the Ardennes, according to the water board. Emergency pumps installed at the Tungelroyse Beek and the Uffelse Beek. In South Limburg, the water board pays close attention to the drainage of the Geul in particular.
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The Netherlands has been struggling with high water in recent weeks. The water is high in many ditches and rivers. Various water boards are switching on the emergency pumps and pumping stations again to prevent flooding and flooding. According to the shelves, the measures are necessary because it is raining heavily while the soil is soaking wet and can no longer absorb water.
It rarely happens that there are four high tides in quick succession in the major rivers. An additional problem, according to Rijkswaterstaat, is that the soil is completely saturated with water, which means that precipitation does not sink away, but all of it has to be removed by the rivers.
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Sailing ban on the Linge due to high water
A sailing ban has been in place on the Linge between Geldermalsen and Leerdam since Wednesday afternoon. It is possible to sail between Leerdam and Gorinchem, but the passage to the Merwede Canal is blocked. This is due to measures taken against high water, according to the Rivierenland water board.
An engine of the Kolffgemaal near Hardinxveld-Giessendam has failed. Repairing that engine takes time. The pumping capacity of the Kolff pumping station is now insufficient, the board reports. Additional pumps are being installed and the Gorinchem Canal Lock is partially closed. The water level on the Linge will therefore rise.
Wetterskip Fryslân sees the water level on the Frisian lakes, canals and waterways in the province rising sharply and expects a further increase until Saturday. Little water can be discharged into the Wadden Sea. That is why it was decided on Wednesday to place 1,200 sandbags along two streets in Aldeboarn (municipality of Heerenveen) to prevent water from running over the quays there. Sandbags may also be placed elsewhere in the province, while extra pumps are working everywhere. The board will decide on Thursday whether fourteen water storage locations in the province will be deployed. 6 million cubic meters of water can be temporarily stored there.
The Hunze and Aa’s water board will start dike inspections along the Hunze and the Drents Diep again on Thursday. Special attention is paid to excavation damage caused by beavers, which can undermine a dike with tunnels and burrows. There is a lot of nuisance from beavers in Hunze and Aa’s.