The Dutch forestry service Staatsbosbeheer is calling on the population to avoid the forests of Drenthe in the coming days after the storm on Saturday. “The damage is considerable in some places,” said the nature manager. According to a spokesperson, the call initially only applies to the forests of Drenthe owned by Staatsbosbeheer.

According to the nature manager, it is now too dangerous in the forests. “And what’s more, the public paths to and in the forests are simply impassable in some places. Large trees and branches have fallen across roads and paths. Some branches are still hanging loosely in the treetops. This means there is a risk that they could simply fall down even in calm weather.”

The Gieten-Borger Forestry Office appears to be the most affected. “It looks like Mikado there,” says forestry officer Linde Veldhoen. But trees have fallen elsewhere in Drenthe and there are many loose branches, she says. “The advice is to wait a few days. Hopefully the loose branches will fall to the ground in the next few days with some wind.” According to the nature manager, forestry officers from Staatsbosbeheer are also busy clearing away fallen trees and branches.

Staatsbosbeheer reports that the forest around the Drenthe bathing lakes is also affected. For example, the car park of the Gasselterveld and ‘t Nije Hemelriek is littered with large American oaks. According to the nature manager, these will make parking impossible for a while. In view of the bathing weather forecast for the coming week, Staatsbosbeheer asks people to come by bike or to go to a bathing spot outside the forests. “Parking is expected to be possible again during the week.”

According to Veldhoen, it is impossible to predict when people will be able to go into the forest again. “It depends on how the wind behaves in the next few days and whether or not the loose branches can still come off. You always have to be careful when walking in the forest, but we advise you to wait a few days and then see if you can rely on it. In any case, you can always contact the local forester.”

The storm on Saturday caused major damage in Drenthe, reports the Dagblad van het Noorden. For example, the football club MSC Meppel wrote on Facebook that it had been hit by a tornado and reported that the damage amounted to several tens of thousands of euros. Among other things, the grandstand was said to have been badly damaged. “The storm that swept over Meppel on Saturday evening hit our accommodation disproportionately hard,” the club said on Facebook.