Today we visited Delta Works, a museum detailing the construction of the Delta dams surrounding the country of the Netherlands. We first watched an educational video that described the process and materials to build the Oosterscheldekering, which was the specific storm surge barrier we got to explore today. After the great floods that hit the coastal cities of the Netherlands in 1953, there was a great effort by the government and community to build dams, dikes, and storm surge barriers to prevent something like this from happening again. We learned how under the storm surge barriers were first dug out to have one side taller than the other, and then a mat was placed as the base. Then 65 concrete pillars would be placed and a bridge/road was constructed on top of it, and the steel walls that prevent the water from going through were added. Finally, rocks would be placed around the bottom to further stabilize the structure.

After watching the video we were shown around the museum by a tour guide that re-emphasized the construction of the storm surge barrier. He clearly explained how the steel plates were brought down when winds are very strong during high tide to stop flooding from the North Sea to the Oosterdelde sea. However, when the sea goes back to low tide they reopen to allow the marine life back into the Oosterdelde sea. This process related from concept to costumer because the people of the Netherlands needed protection from these heavy storms, but since agriculture is their main source of economy, they needed to be able to keep the natural irrigation. These storm surges and dams were the solutions to their problem because it allowed them to still have access to the North Sea and also is expected to protect the community for over 200 years.

However, this process to make the Delta works was not simple. After beginning the process in the early 1960s, it was not completed until 1986 and there were 100 to 150 people working on it at one time. Due to the floods this was an era of reconstruction for the entire community, so all of this was done during grieving and rebuilding of homes and livelihoods. To further understand the distress that the people of the coastal cities were going through we walked through the “Delta Experience” which was a simulation of what one experience during the night of the Disaster Flood could have been like. This part of the museum was incredibly ominous and really allowed me to empathize with the stress and pressure that the Dutch people were feeling that night.

Towards the end it also showed a montage of photographs of the flooded regions and the community coming together to support each other in times of need. I felt extremely inspired by the quick response that the Dutch community had to this tragic event and how they were able to unite to come up with the solution of the storm surges and dams. I can only hope that these continue to prove their effectiveness in the future.

After the museum we had time to roam around and explore the park for ourselves. We walked to the actual storm surge itself and got to see everything we had just learned about in action. There was an aquarium with tons of fish, sharks, lobsters, and stingray (which we were able to pet quite a few). There was also a waterslide that I thoroughly enjoyed and proudly went down twice but somehow did not get wet! We ended the day with some yummy pasta at a local restaurant and a nice walk around the city. See you tomorrow Rotterdam!