Storms claim one death; flooding countrywide

By Zack Newmark on July 11, 2014 - 08:59
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Storms raged overnight across the Netherlands, causing at least one death in Amsterdam, and damage across the country. The foul weather knocked over a tree on the Damrak, which crashed into the public transit shelter where the victim had taken refuge, according to broadcaster RTV NH.

The tree also took out power lines, which are expected to be repaired by Friday afternoon. Until then, the Amsterdam tram operator GVB says trams 1, 2, 5, 14, 14 and 17 will be rerouted.

Flooding was reported in cellars across Amsterdam, and to a much wider extent in regions of Brabant, Limburg and Gelderland where the weather service declared a Code Yellow weather warning.

Residents of a nursing home in Herkenbosch were moved to a higher floor in their building when the ground floor took on significant water, reports BNR. The flooding in the residence has since subsided.

Downpours also caused highway traffic to slow to just 40 kilometres per hour.

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