Storm and high water
Storms and high water levels occur most frequently between October and April. During this period, we are ready to monitor the dikes and quays.
The water board takes action when a water level of 3.80 meters above Normal Amsterdam Level is predicted. We then have many people working to keep a close eye on everything. We can quickly (temporarily) repair any damage to the dike. Fortunately, this does not happen often.
The flood gates in Delfzijl
Between the city and the port of Delfzijl lies a 750-meter dike. It protects the city from seawater. There are four passages in the dike. These allow us to go from the town to the port and vice versa. These passages have large doors: two electric roller doors, one revolving door, and one sliding door. We close these doors (also known as 'coupures') when the water level rises above 3 meters above Amsterdam Ordnance Datum. The higher the water rises, the better the doors seal the passageway due to the pressure. It does not remain completely dry behind the closed passageway. That is not a problem: the leaking water is collected in the sewer and does not cause any nuisance.
Current water levels
View the current water levels for the Noorderzijlvest Water Authority's working area and information about water levels from Rijkswaterstaat (Rijkswaterstaat provides information about the expected water levels per location). No rights can be derived from the graphs.