September 23. 2018
By Bill Whitaker
The world's only water ambassador, appointed by the Netherlands, says damage from hurricanes could be lessened with the help of Dutch-innovated stormwater management
Parts of the country ravaged by Hurricane Florence (click here) will slowly dry out and begin to clean up in the coming weeks. Many communities in the Carolinas hadn't yet recovered from Hurricane Matthew two years ago. The relentless cycle of disaster, rebuild, repeat has many coastal residents feeling numb and helpless. And climate scientists say we can expect more frequent, more powerful storms in the future.
We heard that the Netherlands, one of the most flood-prone places in the world, almost never floods. Holland is about twice the size of New Jersey and is one of the world's most densely populated countries. Much of it is below sea level, yet the Dutch don't bother with flood insurance. They don't need it. As the U.S. cleans up from Hurricane Florence, we were wondering, do the Dutch have a solution?...
...Bill Whitaker: From what I can see here, it looks as though the entire country is man-engineered.
Henk Ovink: Yes
We flew over Rotterdam, his hometown, so he could show us how the country has been engineered.
Bill Whitaker: How much of this city is below sea level?
Henk Ovink: Almost everything.
Bill Whitaker: When was the last time this flooded?
Henk Ovink: This doesn't flood. And we--
Bill Whitaker: Because of the precautions you have taken.
Henk Ovink: Yeah.
