 Flooded streets inHamburg-Wilhelmsburg | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Duration | 16–17 February 1962 |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 347[1] |
| Damage | DM 3 billion (Hamburg only)[2] |
| Areas affected | North Sea coast ofGermany and theNetherlands |
TheNorth Sea flood of 1962 was anatural disaster affecting mainly the coastal regions ofWest Germany and in particular the city ofHamburg in the night from 16 February to 17 February 1962. In total, the homes of about 60,000 people were destroyed, and the death toll amounted to 315 in Hamburg. Theextratropical cyclone responsible for the flooding had previously crossed theUnited Kingdom as theGreat Sheffield Gale, devastating the city ofSheffield and killing nine people.[3]
The flood was caused by theVincinette low-pressure system,[4][clarification needed] better known as theGreat Sheffield Gale, approaching theGerman Bight from the southern Polar Sea. AEuropean windstorm with peak wind speeds of 200 km/h pushed water into the German Bight, leading to a water surge thedykes could not withstand. Breaches along the coast and the riversElbe andWeser led to widespreadflooding of huge areas. In Hamburg, on the river Elbe, but a full 100 km away from the coast, the residential areas ofWilhelmsburg were the most affected.
 | This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(February 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
On Thursday 15 February, German authorities published the first storm warning for the North Sea with wind speeds up to 9 Beaufort.A severe storm warning followed the next day, with a predicted gauge of 3 metres above normal, which was a level the dykes could withstand.
The severe storm and the flood it caused in the last hours of 16 February affected the dykes more than predicted and led to some 50 breaches before officials raised the alarm for Hamburg. At this time of the day, most city offices were closed, which slowed the notification of the population. Civil protection plans were not implemented yet.
Due to telephone landline breakdowns, warnings could not be forwarded from coastal to inland emergency offices. Breakdowns in alarm siren lines and electricity lines severely affected the warning system. Radio amateurs had to establish emergency operations to support emergency services as a means of communication.
Around midnight, the peaks were too high for some dykes to withstand. The backs of the dykes were not fortified, so the first overtopping waters destroyed the dykes from behind and cleared the way for the flood.
Helmut Schmidt, then police senator of Hamburg, coordinated the rescue operations, and requested emergency help from countries throughout western Europe. He also called for elements of the new formedBundeswehr to assist with the emergency, especially engineers. That meant overstepping his legal authority, ignoring the German constitution's prohibition on using the army for "internal affairs"—a clause excluding disasters was not added until 1968. He also secured the assistance of helicopters from otherNATO states.[5]
120 square kilometres or a sixth of the city of Hamburg were flooded, destroying 6,000 buildings. Streets were unusable and railway operations were suspended, which meant supplies could not reach the city.
Greece donated 500 tonnes ofraisins to the people of Hamburg after the flood.[6] Afterwards, emergency plans were implemented, and dykes were shortened and strengthened, leaving some river arms and bays cut off from the sea.
{{isbn}}: ignored ISBN errors (link).
