Today we started our day with a quick breakfast at A&O hostel and hopped on a bus to the Watersnood museum. The remembrance center tells the story of a flood disaster that took place on the night of February 1st, 1953. While walking through the museum, we learned about both the history of the tragedy in addition to survivors’ personal experiences in the disaster. Some shared the trauma of watching relatives get swept away by the tides. Specifically, a mother explained how she tied herself to a pole to ensure that she wasn’t carried away by the water. After securing herself, she started tying her son to the pole to make sure that he was safe. While tying the knot, a strong current overcame the family and the boy wasn’t strong enough to hold on any longer. He was swept away and there was nothing the mother could do to save her child. Many individuals shared equally devastating stories in the exhibit. I can’t imagine how helpless the families felt when the flood took away everything from them. 

The museum later transitioned into how The Netherlands adapted and innovated technology in order to prevent another flood from happening. Additional barges were built, supplies were stocked up, and towns were reconstructed. Later in the day we traveled to visit the Delta Works project. The project constructed dikes that linked islands in order to control water flow. This giant flood-control project costs approximately 3.3 billion euro and was incredible to see. On a guided tour, the guide explained how the dikes operated. Steel gates are lowered when water levels increase and a storm is on the way and raised after the storm passes and low tides return. This strategy allows the government to effectively control water levels and prevent a flood disaster from devastating the country. 

Later on, we embarked on a boat cruise (the boat was similar to a ferry) that toured the harbor surrounding the Delta Works project. After the tour, we grabbed lunch from the tour’s restaurant and boarded the bus back to Amsterdam!