flood event
1976
Ruisbroek flood
On January the 3th, 1976, through a combination of spring tide and a heavy northwestern storm, the water of the Sea-Scheldt and its tributaries was pushed up to very high levels.
There was severe flooding in the entire Sea-Scheldt basin; the situation was most critical near Ruisbroek (Puurs). 800 homes were flooded and over 2000 hectares of farming land was drowned, some having water levels as high as 4 m. In response to this disaster, the Belgian government devised the Sigma Plan, similar to the Dutch Delta Plan.
Further reading
Comcoast
Spatial calculation of flood damage and risk ranking