On the night of January 31, 1953, a mighty North Sea storm surge flooded vast areas of the Netherlands, killing nearly 2,000 people and causing widespread damage to homes and infrastructure. The United Kingdom was also affected, the floodwaters leaving many dead and submerging land and housing.
The flood remains the worst storm surge on record for the North Sea, and one of the most calamitous natural disasters of the 20th century. So, how did local communities and the wider world respond, and what lessons were learned in the wake of this unprecedented and tragic event?
Click on and revisit one of the deadliest storms ever to hit Europe.