All Saints' Flood (1170)

The All Saints' Day in 1170 caused on 1 and 2 November 1170 extensive devastation to the Dutch and East Frisian coast. She was one of the largest historically known storm surges along the North Sea.

The flood was followed by a very hot and long summer. The North Sea broke through the Dutch coast south of the present island of Texel, Texel and Wieringen separated both from the mainland and expanded stemming from an earlier storm surge Zuiderzee. Between Texel and Wieringen the flood tore so much moor from the " Moerwaard ", the peat bogs between Wieringen and Texel, in the North Sea that of a recent bog flow, the tidal inlet Marsdiep arose and the two islands were separated. The salt- containing water Zuiderzee was far from the freshwater influenced Almere. At the time of this storm surge to 1193 the western Wadden Sea was formed in the shape which kept it until the beginning of the 20th century. The storm surge was so strong that the water level in the city of Utrecht fluctuated with the tides and whiting floating in it.

At the East Frisian coast 45 km long and 25 km wide island Bant from which the islands Borkyn (Borkum), Juist, Buise was before the Ems estuary torn into several pieces ( disappeared in the 17th century) and probably Oester end ( today Norderney) as well as the disappeared around 1750 Eiland Bant emerged.

Pictures of All Saints' Flood (1170)

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