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N0KFQ > TODAY 31.01.13 17:19l 43 Lines 1912 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 35382_KB0WSA
Read: GUEST
Subj: Today in History - Jan 31
Path: IZ3LSV<IW0QNL<JH4XSY<F1OYP<N9PMO<VK4TUB<ZL2BAU<XE1FH<N0KFQ<KB0WSA
Sent: 130131/1510Z 35382@KB0WSA.MO.USA.NA BPQK1.4.53
Jan 31, 1953:
Flood wreaks havoc in Europe
On this day in 1953, flooding in the North Sea kills more than
1,500 people in the Netherlands and destroys 1 million acres of
farmland. The storm also caused death and destruction in Great
Britain and Belgium.
The storm began in the North Atlantic and moved slowly toward the
British Isles and the Netherlands. By the morning of January 31,
winds were reaching more than 100 miles per hour. That evening, a
200-mile area of England was experiencing flooding, particularly
the Ouse and Orwell river regions. Sea walls were breached all
along the coast and the Margate lighthouse was destroyed. By the
time the water subsided in England on February 2, 307 people were
dead and thousands were homeless. Winston Churchill declared it a
national disaster and established a relief fund for the victims.
In Belgium, the Schelde River flooded and a dike near the city of
Antwerp broke. Despite the impending disaster, the country's King
Baudouin made a trip to French Riviera. He returned under heavy
criticism.
The worst of the storm, however, hit the Netherlands, where
50,000 buildings were wiped out by the flood and 300,000 people
were left homeless. The islands of Schouwen, Duiveland and
Walcheren were completely inundated and the centers of large
cities like Rotterdam and Dordrecht were severely damaged.
Thousands of people were stranded on their rooftops for days
awaiting rescue. An extension of the United States' post-war
Marshall Plan relief was set in motion on February 6 in order to
assist the Netherlands with the immense relief effort. On
February 8, Queen Juliana proclaimed an official day of mourning.
The state of emergency put in effect was not lifted for another
week. By the time the flood receded, 1,524 lives were lost in the
Netherlands alone.
73, K.O. n0kfq
N0KFQ @ KB0WSA.MO.USA.NA
E-mail: kohiggs@gmail.com
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