A number of quays in the Wadden area were flooded during the night from Thursday to Friday due to very high water in the Wadden Sea in combination with the strong wind.
In any case, this concerns the quays at Lauwersoog, Eemshaven, Delfzijl and Oudeschild on Texel. The water is now receding again according to the Noorderzijlvest water board. All denominations (passages) in quays and dikes will remain closed for the time being.
The water in Delfzijl was 4.12 above Normal Amsterdam Level (NAP) on Friday morning. That is slightly lower than the predicted 4.70 meters. After 9 a.m. the water should recede again.
Hotel on ‘island’
Hotel De Boegvlucht in the port of Delfzijl has not had any flooding, according to Stephan Bakker of the hotel. All guests were evacuated on Thursday evening because there would be water in the building. But only the crawl spaces are wet, says Bakker. The hotel is still on an ‘island’ in the water early Friday morning.
Water level in Wadden Sea less high than expected
The water level in the Wadden Sea was lower than Rijkswaterstaat expected on Thursday. Noorderzijlvest instituted dike surveillance from 3 a.m. on Friday morning. The dike keepers did not observe any major damage. An additional inspection is held during daylight. The board expects that the peak in the water level has passed, according to a spokeswoman.
The port of Oudeschild on Texel is almost completely flooded due to the persistent rain. The water was almost 270 centimeters above sea level around 3 a.m. Parking lots, bicycle sheds, and highways in the port of Oudeschild were flooded.
Several highways leading into the port were closed off with signs on the road. Restaurants, cafes and hotels were no longer accessible. Several restaurants/cafes used water pumps to pump out the water.
Some restaurants were only accessible by boat. The water spectacle attracted a lot of attention from spectators well into the night hours. The extent of the water damage is unknown.