Mandela, Sinterklaas, Xaver, Bodil: Impacts and Lessons from the December 2013 Storm Around the North Sea

The December 2013 tidal storm had a similar intensity across the North Sea. This makes it an excellent case study to compare and contrast how different countries manage coastal flood risk and to identify opportunities to learn from each other and support adaptation to climate change. The fact that the Storm was named in most countries emphasises its importance and impact. It was named Bodil in Denmark and Xaver in Germany, following storm naming systems in those two countries. In The Netherlands and Flanders it is referred to as the ‘Sinterklaas Storm’ as it occurred on the date of the annual Santa Claus celebrations in those countries. In England it is called the Mandela Storm as it coincided with Nelson Mandela’s death.