Christmas flood 1717

The Christmas Flood 1717 (Kerstvloed 1717) was the result of a northwesterly storm, which hit the coast area of the Netherlands, Germany and Scandinavia on Christmas night of 1717. In total, approximately 14,000 people drowned. It was the last large flood in the north of the Netherlands. Water reached Groningen city, Zwolle, Dokkum, Amsterdam, and Haarlem. Many villages which were near the sea were devastated entirely, such as in the west of Vlieland and villages behind the sea dikes in Groningen province.

The local communities had to cope with population loss, economic decline and poverty. Absolutely no coast area between the Netherlands and Denmark was spared this. Everywhere dike breaks were followed by wide flooding of flat country. Between Tondern in Sleswig province and the East Frisisn Emden about 9,000 people drowned. In the Netherlands there were 2,500 victims. The worst affected areas were in the county of Oldenburg, around Jever, Kehdingen, and the lordship of Ostfriesland. Butjadingen lost 30% of its population. In all the affected coast areas a large quantity of cattle was lost. In Ostfriesland 900 houses were washed away completely. The damage to dikes and sluices was indescribable. Survivors remained unaware of the fate of missing family members for a long time. For example, of 284 persons missing from Werdum in Ostfriesland, only 32 of them had been retrieved by 5 February 1718. The impact of this storm flood in the cold winter time - two days after this flood came hard frost and snowfall - was worsened on the night of 25 or 26 February by a new storm flood.

ee also

*Floods in the Netherlands