![[a map of the South-West of Holland, showing the extent of the 1953 flooding
and the dams and other protection measures built since]](NL/NLDeltawerken.gif)
Maps Overview - 300 AD CE - 1000 AD CE - 1650 AD CE - 1900 AD CE - at present*
Low and High Ground - 20th Century Land Reclamation* - The Delta Protection Works
* - with names spoken
De Deltawerken
De Watersnoodramp (The Flood Disaster)
Stormvloedkering ("Storm-surge barrier")
Deltaplan
hear (ca 50K)
To maintain a saltwater and tides environment one opening to the sea was not closed off with a permanent dam, but a $3 billion storm-surge barrier was built that can be lowered when a gale threatens. (The line of dots in the lower map.)
The real Hansje Brinker
Early in the Flood of 1953 the "Schielandse Hoge Zeedijk" (dike)
at Ouderkerk aan de IJssel (see arrow in map)
was about to break, threatening inundation of the heart of Holland. A skipper offered
to sail his ship into the vulnerable spot
and sank it there, averting
a major disaster.
Rivers
Rijn
Waal
Maas
Schelde
hear (ca 50K)
Cities
Rotterdam
Dordrecht
Den Briel
hear (ca 50K)
Zierikzee
Middelburg
Vlissingen (Flushing)
Goes
hear (ca 50K)
Terneuzen
Bergen-op-Zoom
Rosendaal
hear (ca 50K)