storm damage

A massive storm that hit the Netherlands on Thursday caused around 90 million euros worth of damage to cars and homes, according to a prognosis the Dutch association of insurers VvV released on Friday morning. Thursday's storm is the third largest to hit the Netherlands this century, the association said. The Netherlands annually deals with four to five large storms across the country, with an average annual damage of 50 million euros.

Hundreds of storm damage incidents were reported around the Netherlands on Thursday morning, with insurer Interopolis reporting three times more damage notifications than they expected, a spokesperson told Omroep Brabant. With several hours of sustained heavy winds battering the Netherlands, and gusts peaking at TK km/h, the damage caused by Thursday’s storm should easily top a 10 million euro estimate, the Dutch insurers association VvV told newswire ANP.

With the first storm of the year hitting the Netherlands today, the first storm damage reports of the year are also coming in. According to Weerplaza, a gust of 141 kilometers per hour was measured in Vlissingen early on Wednesday morning. The storm is expected to peak between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Hurricane Maria pulled past Sint Maarten during the early hours of Wednesday morning, at first sight with out causing much damage. Sint Eustatius and Saba got more wind and rain this time around, compared to hurricane Irma two weeks ago, but there too the damages seem to be limited, AD reports. The hurricane is still increasing in strength and is now heading towards the American Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

The damage caused by the first autumn storm to hit the Netherlands this season, amounts to 5 million euros at most, according to the first rough estimation by the Dutch association of insurers VNV. The damage is "not exceptionally large", a VNV spokesperson said to the Leeuwarder Courant. 

Hurricane Irma took at least six lives on Saint-Martin, the French part of the island that also includes Sint Maarten, broadcaster Franceinfo reported on behalf of the French government. Thus far no information is available about victims in the Dutch part of the island, the Telegraaf reports.

The storm that hit the Netherlands on Thursday damaged a manure silo in Aalten, Gelderland to such an extent that some 3 million liters of manure leaked out into the town, AD reports.

The leak was only discovered this morning. The ditches in the town are full of manure and it looks like the Schaarsbeek is also contaminated. A number of streets are also flooded. Water board Rijn IJssel closed a number of dikes to try and prevent the Oude IJssel becoming contaminated.

Around midnight meteorological institute KNMI withdrew a code orange weather warning for strong winds triggered by a February storm that hit the Netherlands on Thursday. The winds died down somewhat overnight. And while emergency services were busy due to the bad weather, so far the damage caused by the storm seem less severe than expected, NOS reports.

A whirlwind did serious damage to the Twiske mill at the West lakes near Amsterdam on Tuesday afternoon. Photos show that the mill lost its top completely - the sails broke off and the cap was badly damaged.

Achmea will have to increase their premiums, the management said in a press release with their half-year figures. According to the insurer, this "unavoidable" premium increase is necessary to absorb higher damages caused by climate change

It's been about a month since many towns in Noord-Brabant and Limburg were hit by hailstones the size of tennis balls, and while the worst leaks were temporarily plugged, much repair still needs to be done, Omroep Brabant reports.