Flooding and dyke failure in Amsterdam
Machine translation from Dutch, not yet checked by a clinician.
Large parts of Amsterdam lie on average 2 metres below Dutch ordnance datum. A dyke breach at the IJ or the Amsteldijk can affect large areas quickly. Know the risks and the routes.
What to do
• Follow NL-Alert for evacuation instructions
• Go to higher floors — not to cellars or the ground floor
• Evacuate by the designated routes — NEVER drive through tunnels when there is flood danger
• Take with you: medication, identity documents, emergency bag, phone charger and cash
• Report to the municipal evacuation point for your district
Do not do
• NEVER drive through the Coentunnel, Piet Heintunnel or IJ-tunnel when there is flood danger
• Do NOT get into a car on flooding ground — vehicles are carried away quickly
• Do NOT stay on the ground floor during a power cut with rising water — risk of electrocution
Warning signs
• Water rising more than 10 cm an hour — evacuate upwards immediately or leave the building
• A power cut combined with rising water — leave the ground floor immediately
Get help if
• Someone has been swept away by flowing water
• You are trapped on an upper floor with no way to evacuate
Why this matters
Vulnerable districts: IJburg, Watergraafsmeer, Rivierenbuurt and Amstelveen-Noord. Waternet and the KNMI issue early warnings. Fast evacuation to higher floors or higher ground saves lives.
Source: Waternet Amsterdam; Hoogheemraadschap Amstel, Gooi en Vecht; KNMI · reviewed 2025-01-01