Gale of January 1976

The Capella hurricane was a hurricane that hinwegzog on January 3, 1976 on Central Europe and one of the strongest hurricanes of the 20th century. He taught at great damage and cost 82 lives. When triggered by the hurricane storm surge part, the extreme values ​​of the 1962 storm surge were significantly exceeded at the German North Sea coast.

It is named after the ship Capella, which sank in a storm with 11 -man crew.

• 4.1 Schleswig -Holstein coast
• 4.2 North Frisian Islands and islets
• 4.3 Schleswig -Holstein Elbe region
• 4.4 Hanseatic City of Hamburg
• 4.5 Lower Saxony Elbe region
• 4.6 tributaries of the Elbe

Weather

Development of the low pressure system

The Capella hurricane of 3 January 1976, the culmination of a stormy west wind situation that characterized the weather from the 8th December 1975. The foundations for the emergence of the storm depression were laid on 28 December 1975, when pushed forward on the back of withdrawing from the American east coast low pressure system very cold polar air from the room Greenland far to the south, and at the same time very warm Subtropikluft by the Azores High to the north in motion has been set. The extreme differences in temperature led to the formation of a first storm depression that moved to northern Scandinavia and there reaching its lowest central pressure of 955 hPa. This intense low- influenced with his Sturmfeld on New Year's 1976, the weather in the Norwegian Sea.

On 1 / 2 January 1976, it came over the North Atlantic for another foray cold polar air from the Canadian Space that led to the formation of a frontal wave that moved there to the northern North Sea with continuous deepening of the sea area south-west of Ireland to Scotland and from where on the night of 2. was achieved for the January 3, 1976 with a central pressure of 965 hPa. At the same time it came on the back of intense low-pressure to a very large pressure increase, so that developed a very sharp pressure gradient over the North Sea and cold polar air pushed forward far south.

Then in the morning hours of January 3, it came over the North Sea to a new, for the course of the storm and caused him very strong storm surge is essential for development: After the start of occlusion pulled the intense low against the normally turn left by the Skagerrak and then north Scandinavia but was followed by a right turn and pulled over Jutland in the east. This had the consequence that the built-up during the night of 2 January 3 over the North Sea very sharp pressure gradient could not resolve quickly, but also on January 3, 1976 remained on and the resulting storm field much longer than the maritime region of the North Sea lingered. During this phase led to the formation of a trough, which led the afternoon to a further increase in wind, which coincided, unfortunately, with the accruing astronomical Tidehochwassers at noon of January 3.

The course of the storm

The storm field of the hurricane reached the German Bight in the early morning hours of January 3, after having passed through the core of the low pressure area, the west coast of Jutland. Characterized by intense low-pressure with a shifted so far to the south cyclone track went on the German North Sea coast in advance of the storm to strong gusty winds from the southeast at. While on January 3, 1976, there were already around 1:00 clock in West Germany gusty winds with gale-force winds, reigned over Great Britain and Ireland at this time Northwest storm.

With passage of the warm front in the early hours of the morning it came over the North Sea in an abrupt wind shift in western and southwestern directions and to a dramatic increase in wind. Due to the very sharp Luftdruckgradients, had built up during the night over the British Isles, with passage of the storm field were measured in the German Bight similarly high wind speeds, as in Adolph Bermpohl hurricane in February 1967. Was crucial, however, that at Capella hurricane due to the directed to the southeast trajectory and the troughing at noon of January 3, the storm field lingered much longer over the sea areas of the German Bight, as was the case when Bermpohl hurricane, which led only to a failure of Tideniedrigwassers.

Just three weeks later ( 20./20. Of the month), there was a further severe storm surge (Second flood in January 1976), on 23 February to a less heavy.

Course of the Tide

The tremendous force of the hurricane led to a not yet observed Tideanomalie. After initially strong winds prevailed at the front of the storm field from the southeast, which led to a negative wind set-up and thus to low water levels at gauges along the German North Sea coast, this changed after passage of the warm front and the associated wind shift to western to north-westerly direction fundamentally. The extremely high winds prevented the expiration of the morning flooding on many levels totally. At the levels in the same area and in North Friesland, there was virtually none at low tide, but the water levels continued to rise. In the afternoon and evening hours were eventually flood values ​​of Hamburg -St. Pauli: 6,45 m above sea level. NN, Grauerort: 6,02 m above sea level. NN, Büsum 5.16 m above sea level. NN, Cuxhaven 5.1 m above sea level. NN, and Husum 5.66 m above sea level. NN achieved. These were in some cases significantly higher than the previous extreme values. At the levels of the Lower Saxony North Sea coast and in the Weser region, however, the recent extreme values ​​were either nearly reached or exceeded. Overall, the hurricane taught at losses of around DM 450 million.

In Hamburg and at many other levels provides the Capella event until the middle of the 2010s the highest ever recorded level is, and exceeded at least all floods since 1825.

Damage

Disaster at sea

In the sea area northwest of Borkum in the registered Rostock Coaster Capella sank. After the ship of the type of ship North Star in a hurricane had become sprung a leak and maneuverable, it capsized in the early evening hours of January 3 when trying to run the Borkumer port of refuge in Hubertgat, a sea of Westerems. Despite immediately initiated extensive search and rescue operations, all eleven crew members died in the sinking killed.

Schleswig -Holstein coast

At the Schleswig-Holstein coast overflowing surf waves that could slip off the inner slope originated mainly in the open bays to the north-west part of major damage to the dikes, mostly through the dike. Heavily damaged was, inter alia, the Hindenburg Damm, of the Friedrich- Wilhelm -Luebke- polder has the function of a country's protection dike. Rail traffic had to be stopped here because of washout of the tracks. Strong damage also occurred on the dikes of Nordstrander bay as well as in northeastern North beach. In Husum not yet reinforced dike of Porrenkoogs was damaged by overflowing waves, as well as the dike sections in westerhever and Süderhöft south of St. Peter- Ording.

In Dithmar the dike before Christianskoog could not be maintained. The did not increase because of the under construction Vordeichung Meldorfer Bay dike broke, after he had been several decimetres high flooded. Of the 720 acres of enclosed land 700 acres were flooded. As residents and livestock were evacuated in time from the polder, it remained here for damage to property.

Has proven useful in the storm surge in 1973 inaugurated Eidersperrwerk which effectively against the storm surge protected the course of the river Eider with the city Tonning, so that, in contrast to the 1962 storm surge caused no damage here.

North Frisian Islands and islets

On the islets storm surge taught in comparison to the 1962 storm surge significantly less damage, though the record has been exceeded. The then constructed in homes and shelters the elevated mounds with their flattened slopes attended in many places for adequate protection. However, in the homes water penetration caused on Oland, Gröde and Nordstrandischmoor for water damage to furniture and houses.

On the north beach of the not yet increased dike of Elizabeth Sophia Koogs was heavily damaged by overflowing waves. To the west and east of the Norder harbor on the north beach, the seawall protecting revetment was destroyed down to the sand core.

While there was only minor damage in Wyk auf Foehr, it came on Sylt and Amrum to large dunes losses. In Hoernum a dune breakthrough came. Despite these losses proved to Westerland especially in the previously performed in the years Strandaufspülung be extremely effective. In contrast to the floods of 1962 and the Adolph Bermpohl hurricane of 1967, the beach of Westerland wall was not damaged.

Schleswig -Holstein Elbe region

Throughout the same area the water levels of the 1962 storm surge were significantly exceeded. This meant that it was not increased in particular at the dike portions to severe damage. At St. Margaret the dike was severely damaged not only by overflowing waves, but also by large-scale floating debris. Strong damage also occurred on here built in the dike houses. Partly huge revetments have been destroyed. In the section between Holm and Hetlingen in Haseldorfer march because of a Vordeichung under construction not increased dike was overflowed and broke a total of nine points on a combined length of 480 meters. Through these dykes around 3600 hectares of land were flooded with the villages Hetlingen, Haselau and hazel village in the district of Pinneberg. As the population had been warned in time in the affected area, it remained for damage to property. However, 55 residents by helicopter had to be moved to safety because they had initially opposed the evacuation. 800 inhabitants of the march were trapped by the flood, so that their supply had to be carried by air.

Hanseatic City of Hamburg

On the basis of the introduced immediately after the 1962 storm surge complete restructuring of the storm surge protection, it came to Hamburg to no significant damages dike. Nevertheless, the flood taught at major damage in the outer dike area and especially in the port areas.

Lower Saxony Elbe region

In Lower Saxony Elbe region, the storm surge aimed partly at the still elevated dike sections great damage to. Particularly affected was the space Kehdingen where the dike between Drochtersen and Assel a total of ten points broke. Through these dikes an area of ​​about 6000 hectares was flooded. Since this is also z.T. below sea level acted moorland march, the drainage of the flooded areas proved to be extremely difficult, especially since the levee breach in the storm surge of January 21, 1976 set off again.

Great damage was also on the not yet bedeichten Elbinsel herb sand as well as in the region of Freiburg (Elbe ), where the city center was completely flooded.

Tributaries of the Elbe

After the Störsperrwerk at Wewelsfleth had gone along the tributaries of the Lower Elbe into operation in 1975, the second to last of twelve locking works whose protection was fully effective in the storm surge of 3 January 1976. Catastrophic damage as yet entered upon the 1962 storm surge, failed to materialize at this flood in the catchment areas of tributaries. Only in the catchment area of ​​the Au Wedel, whose barrage was completed in 1978, there was flooding.