Amsterdam narrowly escaped a potential large-scale flood at the beginning of November due to a technical failure in the control system of the lock gates in IJmuiden. These gates serve as protection against the waters of the North Sea for the Netherlands. On the night of November 2, all seven gates suddenly opened, allowing billions of liters of sea water to flow towards the capital.
The situation worsened as the Kyara storm hit the coast of Northern Holland, bringing strong winds and raising the water level. Despite the stormy weather, ships continued passing through the gates. At 3:52 a.m., the control system switched to manual mode, leaving all gates open. The cause of this failure remains unknown.
For nearly two hours, the impending danger went unnoticed. It wasn’t until 5:45 a.m. that Rijkswaterstaat personnel realized the water level in the North Sea Canal was 20 centimeters higher than normal, initially attributing it to the storm.
A disaster was averted thanks to the alertness of a water management employee in Amstel, Gooi, and Vechtstreek. He identified the link between the open gates and rising water levels. His prompt action led to the closure of 14 gates of the Haringvliet locks in Amsterdam by 6:00 a.m., preventing flooding in the city center.
Following the incident, specialists addressed the issue at the IJmuiden gateway complex. By 7:24 a.m., they successfully closed the remaining gates manually. The water level in the North Sea Canal had risen to 32 centimeters above normal. To prevent similar incidents, Rijkswaterstaat implemented measures, such as relocating control of the gateway complex to IJmuiden and introducing round-the-clock monitoring by contractors.