Many municipalities suffered more damage due to fireworks on New Year's than last year

Much more damage was caused by fireworks in some municipalities than in previous years during New Year’s Eve. Not all municipalities have been able to calculate the amount of damage done as of yet, but some municipalities have had to spend a lot of money on repairs.

Kapelle in Zeeland has reported “significant damage” and was shocked by it. The fee to repair this is estimated at 80,000 euros, while they only had to spend around 20,000 euros last year. The asphalt has melted in several places. It is too expensive to repair it all at once, "so the damage caused will remain visible for the time being.”

Almost 71,000 euros worth of damage was done to municipal property in Hilversum. This is considerably more than the last two New Year’s put together. The damage fee is partly that high because four parking meters were destroyed. The parking meters cost 11,000 euros per piece.

Amsterdam estimated that the damage done was around 353,000 euros. This came due to 110 garbage cans being destroyed, almost 100 underground containers, 36 bus and tram stops, five parking meters, and five traffic signs. The damage in the capital city cost almost 287,000 euros to repair last year.

Significant damage was also done in Hoeksche Waard, Zuid-Holland. They will have to spend 37,000 euros on repairs, which is 14,000 euros more than last year. The neighboring municipality, Goeree-Overflakkee, has currently estimated that the damage will cost almost 94,000 euros to repair. Almost half of this is due to the damage of a total of 141 square meters of asphalt and paving. Last year, the damage was almost 73,000 euros.

The damage in Opsterland, Friesland, was also “more significant than previous years” at 20,000 euros. Most of this damage was done in Gorredijk, where the road was damaged by an illegal fire. Traffic signs, light poles, and bus stops were also blown up by fireworks.

Other municipalities saw less damage. The Hague will spend around 300,000 euros on repairs, which is less than last year when they spent 400,000 euros. On New Year’s Eve 2019 and 2020, the damage in the city even went up to almost 700,000 euros.

The Groningen municipality of Pekela estimates its damage at an amount of over 11,000 euros, according to the municipality itself, the lowest cost item in ten years. In the Gelderland municipality of West Betuwe, almost 25,000 euros of damage was caused, while five years ago, it was still around 89,000 euros.