Recognising the personal stories behind the statistics from the flooding in the Netherlands

The southern province of Limburg in the Netherlands was last month hit by the most severe flooding in decades. Thanks to hard work from Polygon and ACI Groep, Limburg is now on the road to recovery.

So often all we hear on the news are the numbers when it comes to flooding – so many houses damaged, so many families displaced. But of course, behind every statistic, there is a person, a family, who have suffered immeasurable stress.

Take the pregnant women, who had only just got her house back after 11 weeks, having suffered a pipe leak.  The Limburg floods left her with 40cm of dirty water flooding her home, rendering her ill and homeless again. Or the person who has just bought a catering business, and having completely renovated it, saw their dream detroyed by the floods. They are now facing the prospect of having to start again from scratch.

It is for these people, not just numbers, with real stories, that colleagues from Polygon and ACI-Groep continue to work hard and with care. Until they can return to their homes and businesses.

A large team of project leaders and technicians were rapidly deployed to Limburg, visiting affected properties to quickly assess the damage and propose the methodology for restoration. Reconditioning technicians were tasked with stripping out what was beyond repair, ever mindful to save as much of the contents and possessions as possible. Specialists from the temporary climate solutions group then installed high speed drying technology to accelerate the drying of the buildings.

Such surge events cannot mean that everyday work is neglected. And so while technicians were working hard at the affected locations in Valkenburg, Maastricht, Geulle or Ransdeel, they continued to deal with ‘business as usual’ work quickly and efficiently. The Polygon claims teams ensured everyone asociated with each claim received updates on time so they were fully informed of progress. This transparency and timing of information serves to reassure policyholders and insurers, removing  a great deal of anxiety for all involved.

With many having suffered major damage personally, our team naturally empathised with the victims, where for some, memories from the 1993 and 1995 flooding remained very real. The impact of flood cannot be underestimated with so many individuals and businesses affected and the mountain of work required to restore, constantly intensifying in the immediate aftermath of the diasaster.

The impression that stays most with our teams is the great resilience shown by residents and business owners. The cheerful reception they recieved from municipal employees. The homeowners who kindly offered coffee and treats. The hospitality of the hotels, where our employees spent their nights. The communities of Valkenburg and Limburg that worked hard to aid the recovery themselves.

As Polygon and ACI-Groep, we are proud to contribute to this effort.

The repair work will of course take time and the many drying projects will require more work. We will continue to provide the necessary assistance to Limburg and its residents. We will remain Always By Your Side.