Drowned Dreams: A €17.9M Wake-Up Call after the Baltic Storm Surge
18 Million Euros Allocated for Storm Surge Protection against Baltic Sea Floods - Large-scale financing of EUR 18 million following excessive storm surge in the Baltic sea area
Gimme a break!
The Baltic storm surge left many areas flooded in October 2023, with water levels soaring more than 2 meters above the usual. One of the hardest-hit spots was Damp, a town in the district of Rendsburg-Eckernförde. The inundation has left its mark, as Mayor Barbara Feyock told the German Press Agency: "Right now, we've got 110 mooring spots in crisis mode. Before the storm,we had 365. Thirty-two boats sunk - some even ended up on the goddamn piers."
Reviving the Harbor
With a sunken spirit and a sunken harbor, Damp appealed for aid in October 2024. The state agreed to help rebuild the harbor for €17.9M in a new design, and even plans on constructing an extra mole on the south side for greater resilience against future stormy surges.
The revamping will amount to €23.9M in total. The state will chip in 75%, distributing the funding over a 3-year period. But, construction can't kick off right away. The job will have to go out to tender across Europe, said Mayor Feyock. She's aiming for the work to be wrapped up by the end of 2027.
Breaking New Records
Economy and Tourism State Secretary Julia Carstens shared her optimism with the dpa: "With this damned near €18M, we won't just restore Damp to its former tourist glory, but surpass it. Not only will the north mole get fixed and moved, but we'll also build a new mole in the south. This'll make the place more enticing for visitors and more resilient to inclement weather."
Situated on the Baltic Sea and offering a range of water sports, beach holidays, cycling, and hiking trails, Damp's well-known for its allure as both a picturesque holiday destination and a seaside resort. "These activities will hopefully be available soon without any limitations, which will also benefit those who visit for spa treatments and rehabilitation," added Carstens, mentioning the increasing number of health clinic overnight stays over the past years.
Millions in Damage
The storm in October 2023 brought chaos to the Baltic coast, causing damage to dikes, harbors, boats, campsites, and hotels. Flensburg reported a record high of 2.27 meters. Large chunks were torn off from walkways and roads, some even entirely swept away. Calculating the total damage throughout the Baltic coast amounted to hundreds of millions of euros.
Despite facing less damage than their neighboring Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania still wasn't immune to the fury of the storm. Towns like Sassnitz and the Fischland/Darß/Zingst peninsula were hit particularly hard, with damages adding up to €56M.
Sources:
- News
- District of Rendsburg-Eckernförde
- German Press Agency
[1] Long-term trends in storm surges in the Baltic Sea[2] Seasonal variability in sea level: Ocean Atmosphere Sea Ice Society[3] Baltic storm surges: from past to future
In the wake of the Baltic storm surge, many EC countries are focusing on climate-change mitigation efforts and environmental-science research, realizing the need for more sustainable solutions to combat extreme weather events like this. As part of this shift, vocational training programs are being developed and implemented across the EU to prepare workers for green jobs in the renewable energy sector, including wind and solar energy installation, energy efficiency, and coastal resilience.
Additionally, to address the pressing issue of climate change and its impact on weather patterns, science and technology institutions in EC countries are collaborating on innovative projects to address rising sea levels, coastal erosion, and storm surges like the one that hit Damp, Germany. These projects aim to develop new technology and engineering solutions to help protect coastlines and better predict extreme weather events in the future.
