Storm surge barriers close amid severe weather in the Netherlands
The Ramspol storm surge barrier near Kampen was closed Friday due to strong winds and high water levels, the Dutch national water authority Rijkswaterstaat reported. The automated barrier, designed to protect the hinterland from flooding caused by the IJsselmeer, was triggered as water levels rose to 50 centimeters above Amsterdam Ordnance Datum (NAP).
The closure disrupted shipping traffic in the area, with delays expected through Friday afternoon. "A combination of gusts and rainfall is causing water to surge, resulting in elevated water levels around the IJsselmeer," Rijkswaterstaat said. The Ramspol barrier, a 10-meter-tall inflatable rubber dam, is designed to seal off the Zwarte Meer from the Ketelmeer, preventing further flooding into vulnerable areas like Zwartsluis, Genemuiden, and Zwolle.
This marks the second time this storm season that the Ramspol barrier has been activated, following its closure during Storm Conall in late November.
The Hollandsche IJsselkering, another critical flood barrier near Krimpen aan den IJssel, was closed early Friday morning around 1 a.m. to safeguard the lowest-lying parts of the Netherlands, including the Zuidplaspolder. Rijkswaterstaat expects the barrier to reopen by 2 p.m. Friday.
Severe weather prompted a Code Yellow warning from the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) for heavy wind gusts, leading to multiple incidents across Overijssel. In Enschede, late Friday morning, a tall tree fell onto a fence and partially damaged a carport on Gaffelhoek Street. Firefighters removed the tree, and no injuries were reported.
In Almelo, a collision between a van and a car on the Aadorpweg exit to the N36 caused significant damage to both vehicles, with one driver transported to the hospital. Earlier in the day, a truck overturned on the Eilandbrug along the N50 between Zwolle and Emmeloord, temporarily closing the road in both directions before traffic was rerouted and the road reopened.
In other parts of Overijssel, fire crews responded to a barn fire in Raalte that destroyed the structure. Flames engulfed the barn, which contained several vehicles, though the nearby house escaped damage. No injuries were reported. In Dedemsvaart, a car caught fire late Thursday on a parking lot along the N377. Both occupants escaped unharmed before the vehicle was completely destroyed.
