Video: Tornado strikes Apeldoorn and surrounding area; Wind warning issued for tomorrow
A tornado caused some significant damage in the area to the west of Apeldoorn at the end of Tuesday morning. The villages of Klarenbeek, Lieren and Beekbergen were hit by the suddenly rushing wind, said a spokesperson for the Noord and Oost Gelderland Security Region. There were no injuries. A warning for strong wind and rain was also issued for Wednesday.
The extent of the damage can only be determined later. The hurricane passed over an area of about 10 kilometers along Apeldoorn. The security region initially thought it was a downburst, but it later became clear that the damage was actually caused by a rare tornado. The security region spokesperson likened the feeling to a brief but "real hurricane" that hit the area hard.
Cleanup efforts will take some time, the spokesperson said. The fire brigade and other emergency services were working Tuesday afternoon to remove fallen trees from the road, including on the Woudweg in Klarenbeek. That road is closed to traffic, as several cars ended up under fallen trees.
The wind whipped around the Princess Juliana School in Lieren for about two minues, causing damage there. "Trees were uprooted, the branches fell out and some containers went into the air," the director of the school told Omroep Gelderland. The students were all safe inside when the tornado hit. "They are unharmed, but a bit shocked. We took care of them all. When it was over, they were allowed to look outside for a while, until the fire brigade sent us back in for safety," said the director.
There was also damage to the roofs of houses, while the contents of entire gardens and terraces were blown away here and there. The fire department asked people not to come out as a disaster tourist wanting to view the consequences of the tornado. The roads in the villages are narrow, and the large emergency vehicles need all the space they can get. Unsafe situations can result if too many people crowd around workers.
The municipality and fire brigade advised private individuals to clear away branches and fallen trees in their own garden as quickly as possible, especially given the bad weather expected on Wednesday. Usually a permit is required to cut down a tree, said the municipality, but it is immediately allowable in the face of a serious threat. Partly because of the weather forecast, the municipality is removing as much rubble and wood as possible from the street.
A Code Yellow weather warning was also issued for most of Wednesday morning, with strong winds expected to develop late on Tuesday. From the end of the night, strong wind gusts of 75-90 km/h are possible along the southwest coast," the KNMI said in its alert.
This will progressively move towards the northwest, with gusts even reaching up to 100 kilometers per hour in some areas. This will likely hinder morning rush hour traffic, and also planned outdoor activities.
"In addition to the wind, a lot of rain will fall from next night until the beginning of Wednesday afternoon, especially in the northwest," the KNMI continued. This can dump up to 50 millimeters of precipitation in some areas, which should also affect traffic, the meteorological office said.
