A tornado caused major damage in the holiday resort of Zierikzee on the North Sea on Monday afternoon. One person died as a result.
A tornado has killed one person in the south-west of the Netherlands. At least ten people were injured, said the emergency services in Zierikzee on Monday.
Meteorologists spoke of a weak tornado. According to the authorities, he left a trail of devastation in the holiday resort on the North Sea, which is also popular with German tourists.
Around 1 p.m. the storm raged over the city in the province of Zeeland. The devastation can be seen in videos and photos on social networks. Roof tiles were torn from houses and a church, trees were uprooted, trampolines twirled in the air. According to the authorities, up to 20 residential buildings should be uninhabitable. Auxiliary services were deployed.
“The damage is considerable in some streets of Zierikzee,” said the emergency services of the city in the south-west of the Netherlands later on Monday. “In addition to flying roof tiles and fallen trees, the roofs of four houses were blown off.”
According to the local newspaper Provinciale Zeeuwse Courant, the dead man was a tourist who was hit on the head by a roof tile in the city’s port area. According to the emergency services, one person was taken to hospital with injuries while the others were treated at the scene.
According to the information, the front of a house collapsed. Images in online media showed a huge funnel of debris swirling around.
Tornado in the Netherlands leaves a trail of devastation
“It got completely dark. Outside you could see everything flying, everything in the air,” said 72-year-old Freek Kouwenberg from Zierikzee. “I have never experienced something like that.”
The rescue workers called for people to stay away from the affected area so as not to hinder the police and fire brigade operations. There is also a risk of falling roof tiles and branches.
On average, the Netherlands experiences several tornadoes per year. According to the NOS, the most recent previous hurricane with deadly consequences was decades ago. So it happened in 1992.
Tornadoes also often cause a stir in Germany. The tornadoes in Germany are actually nothing special, as expert Thomas Sävert explains in the stern interview.
