Due to recent storms, a large part of the dunes on the coast of North Holland has flattened out. Because of this, it can be very dangerous to sit under the dunes, even if people do. “If it falls down, you suddenly lose your children under the sand.”
Danger of dunes collapsing – NH Nieuws
Beach finder Dirk Bakker demonstrates the danger of collapse on top of a dune. “Look, if I stand on this side, it’ll fall right down.” Part of the dune does indeed fall down, with Bakker behind it. “You see, if that dries out, it’ll go even faster,” he says when he’s downstairs.
“People sit out of the wind with their maxi-cosi next to it”
“Here you see a turning side of about three metres,” says Bakker, pointing to a dune. “But there have been turn-offs of about six meters here.” He also talks about flattened dunes of twelve meters high. “That’s dangerous.”
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out of the wind
Bakker has already sent people away several times who were sitting against the dunes. “People with small children can sit here out of the wind. Put their maxi-cosi next to it. When the dunes dry out, it will collapse. Then you think: where is my child, and where am I myself?”
In any case, the municipality of Castricum has demolished a large part of the dunes. “They did that very neatly. The danger has thus passed,” says Bakker. The municipality alone cannot do something about the danger in all places. That is why it is still important to keep a good eye out on the beach.