Risk of severe flooding persists 70 years on from deadly tidal wave in Netherlands

Revisited

In 1953, a gigantic storm swept across the North Sea and caused a tidal wave in the Netherlands, Belgium and the UK. Many dykes controlling water levels were simply swept away as the water spread far inland. While more than 300 people died in the UK, over 1,800 lost their lives in the Netherlands. At the time, around a fifth of the Netherlands was below sea level. More than 2,000 square kilometres of land were flooded there, including almost the entire province of Zeeland. Protective structures have since been created. But will they be sufficient to hold back the expected rise in sea levels due to climate change? FRANCE 24's Alix Le Bourdon reports.