Extreme rainfall in the Netherlands may not only lead to damage but also to life-threatening situations and social unrest if no measures are taken to combat the impact, according to a report from Dutch safety board OVV.

Climate change is increasing the likelihood of short but intense rainfall, the OVV said, citing three cases that highlight the vulnerability of Dutch infrastructure.

Intense rainfall in Nijverdal in Limburg in 2023 disabled an electricity substation, leaving 11,000 households without electricity for several hours. Groundwater had penetrated the cellar of the substation via a permeable cable entry which could potentially have resulted in a chain reaction affecting traffic lights and means of communication, the OVV said.

In another example, the emergency care department of a hospital in Doetinchem was flooded in July 2024. The hospital was built at a low point, causing rainwater to accumulate. Some weeks later, the same thing happened, again leaving locals without an emergency department for several hours.

In one of the worst cases, 80 homes in two areas in Enschedé’s old town situated near a moraine were flooded. Some 57 families had to leave their homes because of subsequent health problems caused by damp.

Nine months later, the houses were declared uninhabitable, and the slowness of the decision-making process also caused physical and mental health problems for the residents, the OVV said.

There are another 47 areas across the country that are similarly at risk to the Enschede district, the OVV said.

The OVV also said officials only look at their own remits and that there is no single body to monitor safety risks from flooding as a whole. Urbanisation has limited drainage and much of the infrastructure has been designed with another climate in mind.

The government needs to take measures to improve water drainage, develop more storage areas for excess water, and better protect hospitals and power supplies.

In addition, the OVV said, more needs to be done to make sure residents can be warned in time about potential problems.