How did the 1953 storm compare to the
All Saints' Day storm?

Another link the KNMI site came up with:
http://www.knmi.nl/VinkCMS/explained...il.jsp?id=3811

It compares the 53 storm with All Saints' Day (1570) and St. Elisabeths'
(1421) storms. The latter two storms were way worse than the 53 storm in
extent of flooded area and stormsurge. Interesting though it just sums
up all the common factors all three storms have in common:

* Extreme storm coming from the northwest
* Slowmoving storm with an extensive stormfield
* As a result of the previous two points a huge stormsurge is created
* Waterlevels are already high because of:
1) High-tide (spring)
2) Extensive rainfall having raised the waterlevels in the rivers

In '53 Vlissingen reported +455 cm above NAP (being the 0-point). At
this point the dikes broke.

The most recent stormsurges we jan 3rd, 1976 (Vlissingen +394 cm),
febr 27, 1990 (+384 cm) and jan 28, 1994 (+387 cm). No failures on
dikes/levees were reported in those years.

--
"The Earth is just too small and fragile a basket for the human race to
keep all its eggs in."
Robert Heinlein