| Revision as of 10:14, 25 November 2024 editMalborkHistorian (talk | contribs)266 editsNo edit summary← Previous edit | Revision as of 21:03, 2 December 2024 edit undoMalborkHistorian (talk | contribs)266 edits unfinishedNext edit → | ||
| Line 17: | Line 17: | ||
| | location = ] ] | | location = ] ] | ||
| ] | |||
| ] | ] ] | ||
| }}{{Infobox weather event/Footer}} | }}{{Infobox weather event/Footer}} | ||
| '''The Great Flood on the Gdańsk Coast''' – the flood of March 25, 1888, which affected a large part of the ], ] and ] counties. | |||
| As a result, almost all of ] and part of ] were flooded. |
As a result, almost all of ] and part of ] were flooded. | ||
| == Historical Vulnerability of the Vistula Delta == | |||
| The ] has historically been one of the most flood-prone regions in Europe. Its low-lying geography, coupled with the confluence of major rivers such as the ] and ], makes the area susceptible to flooding during periods of snowmelt or heavy rainfall. By the 19th century, limited flood control measures were in place, such as basic dikes and drainage canals, but these were often '''poorly maintained''' or insufficient to handle extreme events. | |||
| In the decades preceding the 1888 flood, local communities had already experienced smaller-scale floods, but none approached the magnitude of this event. The winter of 1887–1888, marked by record snowfall across ], set the stage for the catastrophe, while the region's growing dependence on agriculture and trade heightened the economic risks of flooding. | |||
| = The Winter of 1887/88 = | |||
| The winter of 1887–1888 was one of the heaviest on record in northern Europe. In ], snowdrifts reached several meters high, blanketing towns, villages, and farmland under layers of ice and snow. Rivers, including the ] and ], froze over completely, while transportation and trade in the region came to a standstill due to the extreme cold. | |||
| = Background and Causes = | |||
| By March 1888, temperatures suddenly rose, causing a rapid thaw. Torrential spring rains added to the meltwater, creating a massive influx of water that overwhelmed the Vistula and its tributaries. The dikes, already weakened by ice, began to fail, unleashing floodwaters across the delta. | |||
| <big>The winter of 1887/1888 was exceptionally snowy. It was marked by extreme snowfall across ] and Westpreußen. | |||
| == Marienburg == | |||
| (today northern ]), | |||
| ] on March 25th 1888]] | |||
| with ] accumulations reaching record-breaking levels. Additionally, from 10 to 18 March there were heavy snowfalls. On the ] the ice cover reached 40 cm, and on the ] 80 cm. On 22 March, at the height of ] and ], a huge ice jam formed on the Vistula, which caused a damming and huge masses of water directed to the Nogat.</big> | |||
Revision as of 21:03, 2 December 2024
This sandbox is in the article namespace. Either move this page into your userspace, or remove the {{User sandbox}} template.
March 25th 1888 This article is about The floods caused by heavy Snowfall. For other uses, see The Baltic Flood of 1888 (disambiguation).
 Areas flooded during, The Great Flood Of 1888 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Duration | March 25th - April 4th (2 weeks, 4 days) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 40-70 |
| Injuries | Unknown |
| Damage | 30 million Deutsch Marks (Marienburg only) (66,5 million Złoty in 2024) |
| Areas affected | German Empire .svg){kind=small}
 |
The Great Flood on the Gdańsk Coast – the flood of March 25, 1888, which affected a large part of the Elbing, Marienburg and Stuhm counties.
As a result, almost all of Sumpfland Weichsel and part of Danziger Werder were flooded.
Historical Vulnerability of the Vistula Delta
The Vistula Delta has historically been one of the most flood-prone regions in Europe. Its low-lying geography, coupled with the confluence of major rivers such as the Vistula and Nogat, makes the area susceptible to flooding during periods of snowmelt or heavy rainfall. By the 19th century, limited flood control measures were in place, such as basic dikes and drainage canals, but these were often poorly maintained or insufficient to handle extreme events.
In the decades preceding the 1888 flood, local communities had already experienced smaller-scale floods, but none approached the magnitude of this event. The winter of 1887–1888, marked by record snowfall across Ostpreußen, set the stage for the catastrophe, while the region's growing dependence on agriculture and trade heightened the economic risks of flooding.
The Winter of 1887/88
The winter of 1887–1888 was one of the heaviest on record in northern Europe. In Ostpreußen, snowdrifts reached several meters high, blanketing towns, villages, and farmland under layers of ice and snow. Rivers, including the Weichsel and Nogat, froze over completely, while transportation and trade in the region came to a standstill due to the extreme cold.
By March 1888, temperatures suddenly rose, causing a rapid thaw. Torrential spring rains added to the meltwater, creating a massive influx of water that overwhelmed the Vistula and its tributaries. The dikes, already weakened by ice, began to fail, unleashing floodwaters across the delta.
Marienburg
