LOOK & ASK: Caissons (flood museum)
Sunday night, February 1, 1953. A very severe northwesterly storm is raging. It is spring tide, causing the water to be higher than during a normal flood. The water pounds against the dikes, which have become very weakened during the Second World War. Then the dikes break, and the water has free rein. Because the radio transmitters are off the air, the KNMI (Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute) cannot issue a storm warning. No one is prepared, and the consequences are enormous. More than 1800 people drown, tens of thousands lose their homes, and a large part of the country is flooded.
To get rid of the water, the dikes must be r…
Sunday night, February 1, 1953. A very severe northwesterly storm is raging. It is spring tide, causing the water to be higher than during a normal flood. The water pounds against the dikes, which have become very weakened during the Second World War. Then the dikes break, and the water has free rein. Because the radio transmitters are off the air, the KNMI (Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute) cannot issue a storm warning. No one is prepared, and the consequences are enormous. More than 1800 people drown, tens of thousands lose their homes, and a large part of the country is flooded.
To get rid of the water, the dikes must be repaired. Caissons, like the ones you see here, are also used for this purpose. This is a difficult operation. Just imagine trying to place four large boxes in such a way that they close the dike. But on November 6, 1953, the time has come. The last dike breach here in Ouwerkerk is closed.
Question 1: What are these caissons actually made of? Note down the first letter.