The severe thunderstorms which swept across the Netherlands on Tuesday night caused considerable damage in Friesland, Drenthe and Groningen.
Translation by Hans de Preter and Traci White
It was a particularly busy night for the Groningen fire brigade: about 45 reports of storm damage came in overnight. A fire department spokesperson told the Groninger Internet Courant that many fire fighters only slept about an hour on Tuesday.
According to the fire department, much of the damage occurred in the west of the province of Groningen. “Most reports came from the area west of the Eemshavenweg.” The rooves of several homes in Ezinge and Warffum blew away, and a barn was destroyed by the storm.
Many reports also came from the city of Groningen, most of which concerned fallen trees. In the Noorderplantsoen, at least one of the trees along the main pond was toppled by the storm. One tree fell across the train tracks near the Groningen Noord station, but rail service resumed on Wednesday morning around 7. According to the fire brigade, there were no injuries.
De markante boom bij de ovale vijver in het #noorderplantsoen heeft de storm helaas niet overleefd ? #stormschade #groningen pic.twitter.com/KPbR5BFlmp
— Ramon van Marwijk (@ramonvanmarwijk) June 5, 2019
In Friesland, the Leeuwarder Courant reports that lightning struck a car in Balk, and trees were uprooted and gas lines were severed due to the storm in Nijelamer. Flash flooding also impacted Leeuwarden: the underpass between the Uranusweg and Plutoweg was flooded overnight.
Damage in Drenthe was primarily caused by downed trees, some of which landed on cars and homes, especially around Roden, Norg and Peest. According to RTV Drenthe, a gas leak was also reported along the N372, and many trees and fallen branches were blocking a number of roads across the province as of Wednesday morning.
Photo source: @ramonvanmarwijk
