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Bad Lucia ;-)

Posted by (northern CA) on

14 Dec of 1287 marked a terrible storm flood in the Netherlands that was named after the St. Lucy holiday that occurs about this time (see Badger's post under Sweden) -- the flood basically created the zuiderzee and thousands of people perished, but it also had profound effects on the coastline of England

https://www.villagenet.co.uk/history/1287-storms.php

Dunwich had been a major port in Suffolk, but it and other towns were altered by storms that winter, and their river access was ruined by silt.

Posted by
2825 posts

Before these storms Dunwich had been the capital city of East Anglia, comparable in size and importance to 14th century London, but coastal erosion destroyed most of what was there.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunwich

Maybe there are some lessons to be drawn for today.

Posted by
7944 posts

I don’t know how the disaster sizes compared, but the 1900 hurricane resulted in the end of an economic boom in Galveston, TX, and its decline to a minor city, in favor of Houston.

Posted by
1055 posts

That was an interesting read. I was born and raised in East Anglia and did not know the history of the 1287 flood. I do recall my parents talking about the big North Sea flood in 1953 that killed many people in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Essex/Suffolk counties and on the islands in the Thames. This flood and its inquiry led to the building of the Thames Barrier to keep London from tidal flooding.

Margaret

Posted by
8002 posts

So naming storms after women started a long, long time ago. I guess in 1287 they didn’t have to resort to using Greek letters, after running out of saints’ names!

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