Storm surge series from December 19 to 24, 1954
The storm surge series from December 19 to 24, 1954 was triggered by two consecutive hurricane lows, the core of which moved across the German Bight to Jutland at the time . and claimed a total of at least 70 lives. The hurricanes and the storm surge of 23/24. December 1954 caused severe damage in Germany and the Netherlands both in the forests and cities, as well as on the dikes and coastal protection systems .
Development of the weather situation
A westerly wind situation that had been prevalent for a long time reached its first peak when, on December 4, 1954, the area of the Federal Republic was crossed by the storm field of a hurricane low moving rapidly across the German Bight and Jutland to Scandinavia. It reached its final climax between December 19 and 24. Especially on December 23, when the second hurricane low with a core pressure of less than 955 hectopascals moved from Jutland in a south-easterly direction to Bornholm , wind speeds of 180 km / h were observed over the German Bight in the sea area near Borkum .
The development of the second hurricane low was very similar to that of the Holland storm flood in 1953 and the Capella hurricane in 1976. Similar to the two hurricanes mentioned, a trough formation occurred on the back of the second hurricane low on December 23, i.e. one that can be observed in aging cyclones Air pressure drop, which led to a reversal in both the Capella hurricane in 1976 and the Dutch storm surge and thus to the development of the very severe storm surge, because in these two cases the passage of the trough took place at flood time. On December 23, 1954, however, the route was reversed at a more favorable time: no extreme storm surge could develop, since the storm subsided significantly during the rising storm tide. A situation like on January 3, 1976 would have meant a disaster of unimaginable proportions in 1954, given the very poor condition of the coastal protection systems at the time and the dikes that were far too low on the entire German North Sea coast.
Storm surge
Due to the dramatic development of the weather situation in the course of December 23, 1954, it had to be assumed that the entire German North Sea coast would be affected by a very severe storm surge. The forecasts for December 23rd for Cuxhaven resulted in an expected maximum water level of 999 cm PN or 499 cm NN. At the Cuxhaven gauge, water levels would therefore have been expected that would have roughly corresponded to the values reached during the February storm flood in 1962 and the Capella storm in 1976.
The storm surge from 23./24. December 1954 encountered a largely undeveloped and completely outdated dyke system. In the war and emergency years from 1914 to the beginning of the 1950s, dyke maintenance was characterized by major material bottlenecks, labor shortages and more, so that many dyke sections not only had too low a dyke height, but were also in a poor state of maintenance. It is only thanks to favorable circumstances that there was no flood disaster in Germany at Christmas 1954 as in 1953 in the Netherlands and Belgium. In 1954, nine years after the end of World War II, the authorities had no German army units available to support the rescue and security measures. Even the civil defense had not yet been developed to such an extent that it would have been efficient enough for such a catastrophe.
German North Sea coast
Serious damage occurred on the North Sea islands. Parts of the beach wall at the west head of Borkum were completely destroyed. On Baltrum , too, there was serious damage to the western head of the island.
Dangerous situations occurred on the sea dike east of Bensersiel and Neuharlingersiel , where the heavily damaged sea dike partially broke. However, the damage was quickly repaired and the danger averted. At Maadesiel in Wilhelmshaven , all efforts came too late; the dike could not be held and broke over a length of 70 to 80 meters.
The situation at Neuwerk became so critical that the population had to seek shelter on the lighthouse . There were severe dune demolitions on Sylt .
Ems area
Dangerous situations arose on the Ems river dikes due to their insufficient height; when empty , the taken had until July 1954 in operation Ledasperrwerk extremely positive. It prevented the storm surge from penetrating the Leda , Jümme , Sagter Ems and Soeste river basins and causing damage there.
Weser area
Inadequate dyke heights, a large number of buildings and systems in and on the dyke, and the poor condition of the dykes led to dangerous situations on the Weser . In Nordenham , a dike broke and led to the flooding of the hinterland. Traffic on the Hude – Blexen railway came to a standstill because the railway facilities in Elsfleth , Nordenham and Blexen were flooded, as was the Lemwerder station on the Delmenhorst – Lemwerder railway . In the port areas that were not yet protected by flood walls and flood gates , z. Sometimes severe damage because the water was able to penetrate the storage sheds almost unhindered.
The storm surge penetrated far into the hinterland along the rivers Hunte , Lesum , Hamme , Wümme and Ochtum . Parts of Bremen-Huchting were also flooded . Here, as in other residential areas not protected by main dikes, the situation became so dangerous that the allotment garden areas on Wardamm , in Surfeld, on Stadtwerder and on Rablinghauser and Woltmerhauser Groden had to be partially evacuated. Several hundred hectares of land were flooded in the area of Hasbergen , which is now part of Delmenhorst . The farmsteads standing on Wurten could only be reached by boat until after Christmas 1954.
The situation at the Ritterhude lock on the Hamme became critical . In order to prevent the dike connecting to the lock from breaking, the responsible authorities had the lock opened, as neither the lock nor the connecting dike were high enough to sweep the storm surge. However, the very high flow velocities that occurred in the lock chamber during the storm surge led to scouring and severe damage to the river structure.
Elbe region
The storm surge also penetrated far into the hinterland on the tributaries of the Elbe . At that time, Oste , Stör , Lühe , Este , Schwinge and Ilmenau were not yet secured with storm surge barriers, so that in cities such as Stade, Itzehoe , Buxtehude , Elmshorn and Bremervörde , low-lying urban and port areas were flooded. In many places the water reached the crest of the dykes at the dikes that were much too low.
In Hamburg , low-lying districts in the city center such as the baumall were flooded; There was severe damage in the port area, which was not yet protected by flood gates and flood walls. A very dangerous situation occurred in Moorfleet in the Süderelbmarsch. A dike breach that was already beginning here could be prevented at the last minute by all means.
Storm damage
Nine years after the end of the Second World War, the cities were still partly characterized by ruins and high wall remains. The high wind pressure of the hurricanes ensured that z. B. in Bremen and Berlin no longer stable walls gave in and collapsed. In Hamburg, the roof of a high-rise on Grindelberg was covered and the debris was thrown onto another high-rise. In the forests of northern Germany, severe damage was caused by wind breaks. In Wilhelmshaven , on the site of the ammunition disposal system at that time, a worker was killed by the ceiling of a massive bunker that was crushed by the pressure of the wind.
Individual evidence
- ^ Gerhard Tomczak: The storm surges from December 20 to 24, 1954 near Cuxhaven . In: German Hydrographic Journal. No. 8, issue 4 (1955). Hamburg, pp. 145–156.
- ↑ MPH Wenink: The "twin" storm surfes during 21st December 1954. A case of resonance . In: German Hydrographic Journal. Vol. 9 H. 5/1956, pp. 240-249.
- ↑ Almost 70 victims in the hurricane days . In: Bremer Nachrichten. No. 300 of December 24, 1954.
- ↑ Friedrich Hamm (1976): Natural History Chronicle of Northwest Germany . Landbuchverlag Hannover.
- ^ Gerhard Tomczak: What does the Holland storm surge in 1953 teach us. In: The coast. 3rd vol. 1/1955, p. 93.
- ^ Gerhard Tomczak: The storm surges from December 20 to 24, 1954 near Cuxhaven . In: German Hydrographic Journal. No. 8, Issue 4 (1955), pp. 145-156.
- ^ Dyke expansion in the II. Oldenburg dike band in the 20th century. Website of the II. Oldenburg dike tape. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
- ↑ Private website with pictures of flood damage etc. a. from 23/24. December 1954 on Borkum. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
- ↑ Watch the dikes . In: Hamburger Abendblatt. No. 299 of December 24, 1954.
- ↑ Northwest storm continues to rage In: Bremer Nachrichten. No. 300 of December 24, 1954.
- ↑ Take a deep breath on the coast - the storm is subsiding . In: Hamburger Abendblatt. No. 299 of December 24, 1954.
- ↑ flood in Bremen: dike danger level I . In: Bremer Nachrichten. No. 299 of December 23, 1954.
- ↑ Kurt Müsegades: Hasbergen - A Millennium Community History . Published by the municipality of Hasbergen, 1974.
- ↑ 125 years of the Ritterhude lock. ( Memento of the original from February 22, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (pdf) on the website of the Water and Landscape Management Association (GLV) Teufelsmoor. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
- ↑ Take a deep breath on the coast: The storm is subsiding . In: Hamburger Abendblatt. No. 299 of December 24, 1954.
- ^ Berlin in 1954 . On: www.Luise-Berlin.de , accessed on February 9, 2014.
- ↑ Bicycle racks flew through the air. In: Bremer Nachrichten. No. 298 of December 22, 1954.
- ↑ Survived the first storm night . In: Bremer Nachrichten. No. 299 of December 23, 1954.
