Jan 8, 2024 at 3:21 PM Update: 6 minutes ago
After weeks of high water, the end seems to be in sight. The Maas is back to winter level, the Rhine is sinking further and drainage from the IJsselmeer is going well. “But of course that water does not just leave the Netherlands,” says a spokesperson for Rijkswaterstaat.
The water in the Maas peaked on Thursday near Maastricht, but that water is now approximately at the Biesbosch. “This slowly moves via the Netherlands to the sea,” the spokesperson told NU.nl on Monday.
The water level in the Rhine is also falling further. Rijkswaterstaat expects the water level in that river to return to normal for this time of year on Wednesday.
The water level in the IJsselmeer is also falling. This is due to draining: water is discharged through a drain. “We see a decrease of 5 to 10 centimeters per day there.” Even the water level in the Markermeer is dropping. “But less quickly than in the IJsselmeer.”
The fact that the water level is dropping does not mean that all problems have been solved in one fell swoop. “It takes a few days before you get back to normal levels.”
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Drone films discharge sluices at Afsluitdijk during sunset
Wind can still cause nuisance around Markermeer
“Certainly at the Markermeer, wind can cause flooding in the areas outside the dykes,” says the Rijkswaterstaat spokesperson.
The expectation is that it can still be exciting there today. According to the municipality of Hoorn, the rising water may be even higher than at the previous peak on Sunday morning.
“That is the only acute point for now,” says a spokesperson for the Union of Water Boards (UvW) about the situation around the Markermeer.
For some water boards it is therefore still “all hands on deck”. But for others the crisis phase is over. “You can see that the water is already receding in some places, which means that some measures can be scaled back.”
According to Rijkswaterstaat, it will remain dry in the coming days. “Also in neighboring countries.” This makes it possible to continue draining water.
Dike inspections remain necessary
Nevertheless, the water systems will remain full for a while, the UVW spokesperson emphasizes. “That situation with a lot of wetness will remain for a while.” That is why the water boards remain alert.
In addition, the receding water creates new tasks. High water takes dirt with it and that can damage dikes. “That is why dike inspections remain important.”
When asked, both spokespersons look back on the past few weeks with a positive feeling. Rijkswaterstaat emphasizes that the real evaluation has yet to come, but “all systems have actually done what they have to do”.
The UVW spokesperson agrees. “What lies within the dikes has actually all gone well.” According to her, in recent weeks we have been dealing with a rare situation, which may occur more often in the future. “I think it was a good stress test.”
2024-01-08 14:21:00
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