Day Nine began at 12:00 PM, which let everyone catch up on sleep and is a first for this program so far! I absolutely took advantage of this late start and got some needed rest. Even after waking up, most of us used the one-hour bus ride to the Watersnoodmusem in Ouwerkerk to squeeze in a quick nap. The Watersnoodmuseum is officially called the “National Knowledge and Remembrance Centre for the Floods of 1953”, and was the only activity for the day. The actual museum itself is located within the four caissons used to repair a major hole in a dyke that lead to the flooding disaster in 1953. After spending about four hours at the museum, we re-boarded the bus and returned to Rotterdam in heavy traffic. After arriving about 45 minutes behind schedule, we dispersed into groups and grabbed dinner.

The Floods of 1953 were a series of devastating floods that took place in February of 1953 in the south of the Netherlands, caused by a severe storm and high tides in the North Sea. The historic storm surge breached multiple dykes in South Holland and Zeeland, causing widespread and devastating flooding. The floods killed over 1,800 people and caused millions of euros worth of damage, and it left a deep trauma for the people of the Netherlands. The breaches in the dykes were so severe that British Phoenix caisson were purchased to stop sea water from pouring in. Phoenix caisson were originally developed by the British to be used to quickly create portable harbours, and they worked by sinking pre-fabricated floating concrete structures into the sea. This flood completely changed the way in that flood control was approached in the Netherlands, and since the 1950s, flood control measures have become increasingly more advanced and high-tech.

My favourite “experience” today within the Watersnoodmuseum was easily the Third Caisson, which focused on how the Dutch rebuilt after the devastation of the Floods of 1953. They went into great detail, and had exhibits that you could directly interact with to add an extra level of immersion. Caisson 3 included equipment that was used in the rebuilding of towns and cities such as a crane, a bulldozer, and even an entire train. Looking at the equipment and feeling it in real life while studying the actual images of reconstruction made the entire event feel more real. The most exciting part of Caisson 3 was the house that was donated by the Norwegians. Following the disaster, many countries around Europe like Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Austria, and France donated houses and buildings to the Netherlands to assist in the recovery. This fascinating reconstruction of a donated Norwegian house, as well as the perspective from someone who actually lived in a donated house, really makes the entire event feel real. Walking around the house, I as if I better understood the impact of the disaster on the people of the Netherlands.

Overall, this day was really fantastic and I wish that I had enough time to fully go through the entire museum. I unfortunately had run out of time to go through Caisson 4, which discussed the future of not just flood defense in the Netherlands, but across the entire world.