Zierikzee, Ouwerkerk, Serooskerke

"They were all on those roofs, just a little bit above the water." (Wim Schot, Zierikzee. The Story, Watersnoodmuseum)

A north-northwest storm developed on the Atlantic Ocean in the days before the Flood Disaster. A strong driving wind with a force of 11 to 12, pushed the water towards the Strait of Dover. KNMI sent out a warning for all coastal areas on 31 January: severe storm on the way with 'dangerously high water'. With the water unable to move at the strait, it looks for an exit towards Zeeland. Instead of taking immediate action, dozens of people actually go to watch the impressive weather. However, the water no longer subsides during low tide and only rises with each high tide.

At 03.00, the first dykes begin to break, including in Zierikzee and Ouwerkerk. Almost all of Schouwen-Duiveland floods. You cycle in Zierikzee along the Havenkanaal, where the dykes broke. For this reason, there is an impressive monument at the end of the canal. The monument shows a powerful woman with a child seeking protection from her mother. Over land that was completely under water during the disaster, you cycle to Serooskerke. Just a little further, at Schelphoek, a dike also broke through. From the viewpoint at Schelphoek, you can see the old dike with the hole.

You cycle over the Schouwsedijk via Brouwershaven. Together with men from the village, Merientje Vis single-handedly closed a hole in the dike. Thanks to Merientje, a large surrounding polder remained dry. Unfortunately, this did not succeed in Nieuwerkerk. After the dike broke in Ouwerkerk, the water came rushing through the polder. There was no escape, people climbed on their roofs and tried to stay afloat when they were knocked loose from the house. In Ouwerkerk and Nieuwerkerk, one in six people died.

Ouwerkerk is home to the Watersnoodmuseum, in a caisson that was used to close the flood hole from the night of the disaster. The museum tells you all about the disaster: what preceded it and how it should be prevented in the future. Through an impressive artwork, the victims are named and commemorated.

You can easily start this cycle route at Hotel and Restaurant de Schelphoek, where there is plenty of parking space.

Photo: © National Archives