Wind storm in Zeeland Zirkzee causes severe damage: one dead and about seven injured

Six people were slightly injured. They were treated at the scene by the emergency services for their injuries. One person was taken to hospital. The security zone cannot say anything about the severity of the injuries and how the victims were injured.

The security zone is talking about a tornado, but according to Weeronline, it’s a weak hurricane. The roofs of many buildings have been smashed. This happened, for example, in Kalandweg, where the roof of an entire row of houses was torn and fell on the road. There are broken roof tiles in several places in Zeeland. Trees were blown out and windows cracked.

(Read more below the photos)

Ten to twenty rental homes in Zirkzee were so damaged by Monday’s storm that they became temporarily uninhabitable. Principal Marco van der Wiel of the Zeewland Housing Association told us. The municipality of Schöne Doveland arranges a shelter for the residents.

Entire roofs of several houses have been defeated. This happened with an entire row of houses in Calandweg. “There was renovation work going on,” says van der Weel. “One of the workers there was injured.” Furthermore, at least one resident of a house rented by Ziewland was injured.

“Destruction is great on several streets in Zirkzee,” the security district sums up the situation. Emergency services confirm that they need the space. This is why they called on people in the area not to come to the affected area via NL Alert.

“Room was vacuumed”

Resident Douwe Ouwerkerk was home for lunch when this happened. “It felt like the room was emptying, and it was a very strong sensation,” he says. Then Ouwerkerk saw all kinds of debris flying dozens of meters from his home in the historic city center. “Roof tiles, garden pool, something like a tent,” he sums up. Pictures he sends show that the balcony awnings in the center of Havenplein have been smashed to pieces. Other photos show that Hafenpark, a little further away, is littered with broken tree branches.

Resident Maurice van den Neuland noticed the whirlwind of a neighbor who was already filming on the street from a distance. “When I got out, I saw it myself,” he says. “The whirlwind was getting bigger and bigger. It reminded me of the American scenes, with those storm chasers.”

Meanwhile, Zeeland townspeople are assessing the damage they have done. Where possible, they immediately began repair work, for example on the roof of a catering company in New Haven.

(Read more under the tweet)

fire brigade

Zierikzee’s fire brigade is working to get an idea of ​​the damage done. Only residents are allowed back into the damaged area, but they should be aware of all kinds of falling objects, such as roof tiles and branches. Also, just before 5 pm, not all streets are safe. The fire service expects to need a few more hours.

Mayor Jacques van der Hoek has stated that a number of families cannot return home yet, and that they are being taken care of elsewhere. He also says emergency services are working hard to repair all the damage. “This afternoon, Zierikzee was unexpectedly hit by a strong gust of wind. Unfortunately, one person died and several people were slightly injured. The houses and trees were also seriously damaged. Also on behalf of the municipal council, I offer my condolences in the first place to everyone affected by this. “.

People can go to Schöne Doveland Town Hall (which houses Zierikzee) for information or psychological help. Previously, the request was to stay out of the affected area so the emergency services could do their job. Road diversions have also been put in place. By 4:30 pm, no bus movement was possible.

A public number that is open until 9 PM has been set up: 452111-0111.

tornado

A tornado forms under a severe thunderstorm, according to weather agency Weeronline. The tornado rotates rapidly in the air at the bottom of a thundercloud. It resembles a whirlwind of several tens to several hundred meters. A tornado can usually be considered a type of trunk. They often don’t last that long, but a very strong tornado can last for hours.

Hurricane strength is expressed on the Fujita scale, which ranges from 0 for the lightest to 5 for the heaviest, and is determined retroactively by damage. Weeronline estimates the strength of a whirlwind in Zierikzee at a maximum of 2, with a speed of between 179 and 218 kilometers per hour. The storm in Zierikzee can also be called a water type, because it originated in the sea.

According to Weeronline, one to three tornadoes occur in our country every year. A few particularly heavy vehicles passed through the Netherlands in June 1967. Seven people were killed and dozens injured.

On August 17, 1992, Hurricane Ameland crossed. One person was killed and five injured in a camp near the town of Nice. On August 9, 2019, he was injured in Amsterdam. This weak tornado crossed IJ and caused minor damage.