Groningen and Friesland will have round the clock dike monitoring throughout Tuesday due to the stormy conditions in the region. Volunteers helping in the MSC Zoe container clean-up are being advised to stay away from the dikes during the storm.
Translation by Traci White
NOS reports that due to the code yellow conditions along the Dutch coastline, Groningen and Friesland are more at risk of debris washing ashore from the MSC Zoe spill. The dike monitors began working on Monday night, which is earlier than normal.
In Delfzijl, walls along the waterways have been put into place. The northern Groningen city is expecting water levels to peak at 4.2 meters just before 1 p.m. due to the high winds from the storm pushing the water inland. People are advised to stay away from the dikes, including for clean-up efforts, during the storm.
Waterschap Hunze en Aa’s heeft de coupures bij #Delfzijl gesloten. Bekijk hier hoe dat ging. https://t.co/eMUnVTuDmm pic.twitter.com/pAfKEWWMSy
— Dagblad v/h Noorden (@dvhn_nl) January 8, 2019
The tide will be 3.4 meters above sea level on Tuesday morning, and Dagblad van het Noordenreports that the Hunze and Aas water authority has been making preparations since Monday night. A representative of the Noordzijlvest water authority told NOS that the dikes in Eemshaven and Lauwersoog in particular would be monitored carefully: “a refrigerator or container forcefully striking the dike could cause damage.”
In Friesland, the retaining wall in Harlingen has been closed due to the high water levels, and pumping stations in Roptazijl, Zwarte Haan and Marum have also been closed. The water levels are even higher than usual due to the spring tide, which follows a new moon on Sunday.
The Wadden Islands could experience gale force winds and waves of up to 10 meters tall on their northern shores. The Doeksen ferry company shared video of the stormy conditions on Tuesday morning at its terminal in Harlingen.
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Storm en hoog water! . . . #harlingen #doeksen #rederijdoeksen #wadden #waddenzee #storm
Photo source: @rederijdoeksen/Instagram
Correction: An earlier version of this story stated that there was a full moon on Sunday. There was a new moon.
