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“I was going to school,” recalls Ton van Baardwijk (78). “I saw something black in the snow. It turned out to be a tree stump floating with the rising water. My father tried to make a small dike with sand, but the water rose too quickly.”
Burning Stove
Kees Laarhoven (76) remembers that his father, a supervisor, stood outside with his feet in the water. He ran home to wake his family and carried the burning stove upstairs.
Coats on the Handcart
Jan de Vries (79) recalls that his father told them to quickly throw coats on the handcart and head to Oostzanerdijk.
Evacuation
Due to a leak in the dike, Tuindorp Oostzaan was quickly flooded. Residents had to evacuate. Van Baardwijk remembers: “By 11 a.m. the water was high enough to navigate with boats, it was up to my waist.”
Armed Commandos
Some people refused to leave out of fear of looting. Police and nearly 900 soldiers were deployed to secure the village.
Thick Layer of Mud
After 11 days, the water was pumped out and everything had to be cleaned. Van Baardwijk said: “Everything was covered in mud, including dead pets.”
Piano in the Living Room
De Vries noted that the piano, which his father had placed on crates, was scattered all over the room. Van Baardwijk joked about a bowl of porridge that had turned green on the floor.
Wet Mess
It took until August or September before the houses were livable again. “Mountains of household items were everywhere,” said Laarhoven.
Compensation
Residents eventually received financial compensation for the damage. Van Putten said: “A famous saying from that time: give us our daily bread – and occasionally a flood, haha.”
An Adventure
However, the teenagers of that time did not carry any trauma. Van Baardwijk slept on a ship and found it an adventure.
From left to right: Kees Laarhoven, Gerard van Putten, Jan de Vries, and Ton van Baardwijk.
At Het Zonnehuis (Zonneplein 30), there is a photo exhibition of the flood from January 5 to 19, open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Historical photos: Municipal Housing Archive
This article previously appeared on amsterdam.nl.