Assistance
Alongside the human victims, large numbers of cattle drowned in the waves, and there was large-scale material damage. About 140 homes were destroyed or irreparably damaged. Stavenisse was rebuilt with help from home and abroad. Tangible reminders of this assistance are the 19 Norwegian wooden houses (one house has been transferred to Sint-Annaland where it was rebuilt at the De Meestoof museum) and the deer park.
The day after the disaster, 500 people already started working on sealing the dike breach below Poortvliet, which also threatened Tholen. By the end of that day, 1500 soldiers were working there, including from Belgium and France. By 11 February, this army had grown to 3390 men. They all needed accommodation, which was found in public buildings and ships in the ports of Sint-Annaland and Oud-Vossemeer.
More information about the 1953 Flood Disaster can be found in the Watersnoodhuis, Voorstraat 42 in Stavenisse or on the website: www.watersnoodhuisstavenisse.nl