Farmers North Holland complain about approach to flooding | Inland

“I understand the frustration very well,” says lily grower Van den Berg. According to him, the biggest annoyance is that, in the eyes of its members, the water storage facilities were not opened or opened too late to drain water. On Friday, the coastal strip near Castricum, Egmond, Alkmaar, Warmenhuizen and the polder de Zijpe had to deal with a lot of rain in a short time, up to 100 millimeters. In the night from Saturday to Sunday it rained hard again, especially around Alkmaar. According to the Water Board, more water was added than was pumped out.

On the fly

A spokesperson says that as a precaution, lowering the water level will take days, while Friday’s heavy shower came unexpectedly. Nineteen water storage facilities have been used, some of which are already full. In response to the criticism, the water board says that due to the small differences in height it may take a while before a lot of water is stored. A spokesperson says that the water board is aware of the farmers’ complaints and will come back to them in a review of the flooding. “There are undoubtedly things that have not gone well.”

The water board says it is working at full capacity to pump out the water. All twenty emergency pumps have been deployed. Sandbags have been placed on a dyke between Heiloo and Egmond to reinforce the dyke and prevent water from flowing over it. The condition of the dikes in the area is being monitored more closely.

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