Meteorological institute KNMI increased its storm warning for Wednesday from a code yellow to a code orange for the provinces of Noord-Holland, Flevoland, Friesland, and the Wadden islands. Very strong winds up to 130 kilometers are expected.
A code yellow warning is still in effect for the rest of the country.
At least two men were killed in a fishing boat accident near the former work island of Neeltje Jans in Zeeland. A third man is still missing. The search for the man was stopped on Sunday night when it became too dark to continue. The police will resume the search on Monday morning, ANP reports.
Three members of the Rescue Brigade were rescued themselves on Wednesday night when their boat capsized off the Zeeland coast. They called the Coast Guard themselves, who sent a helicopter to search for them.
The first autumn storm of the year caused a lot of inconvenience, mainly in the Rotterdam region.
Elevated sand shoals in the Oosterschelde are disappearing underwater. That is particularly a threat to migratory birds, which are resting and eating at these spots, says Natuurmonumenten. Seals also make use of them to suckle their young.
Cause of the problem is the storm surge barrier in the Oosterschelde (Oosterscheldekering). The coastal defense work is intended to preserve the ecosystem in the estuary, but the incoming water appears strong enough to remove sand from the shoals and mudflats but has insufficient power to deposit sand again.
