They Really Dropped the Ball..

[Mari]

I was talking about this with my mum today, because about ten years ago we had a similar threat of nature in the Netherlands, namely massive floods in the river delta's. Authorities evacuated 300.000 people. Every single one of them living in that area. No one stayed behind, or police would get them out of their houses. There was shelter for them in safe parts of the country, either at other people's houses, gym halls, etcetera. A massive operation, but it worked.
I'm just telling this to show, it can be done! It's not impossible! But the government has to take it serious and prepare the country for it. We've special organisations taking care of water protection and plenty of plans for disasters.

Fortunately for us in 1995 there were no massive dyke breaks and most people could go back home within a few days.
It could be a difference between our countries that the threat of water here's taken much more seriously because the damage it can do has been experienced much more seriously too, over history. But I don't know if you've ever had floods like this before there.

Excuse me while I puke for patting us Dutch folks so much on the back tonight, I did not intend to, honestly.

edit, on re-reading, I did not mean to say that all deaths could've been prevented, wasn't being that naive. But surely a lot of them.