We played Den Helder, NL on Nov 8th this year at Musiekcafe de Engel.

We were put up in a nice hotel that night with soft, clean beds.

We turned on the news the next morning.

As it turned out, we just slept through what was potentially Katrina the sequel. Luckily for us, we happened to be sleeping safe and sound in the arms of Dutch engineering.

1/3 of Holland happens to be reclaimed land and is, for the most part, below sea level. There had been a freak storm in the North Sea that resulted in the evacuation of hundreds of residents from the southeast shore of England, and caused the water levels on the western shore (Northern Holland) to rise 8 meters above normal. (about 24 feet) overnight, and without warning.

I used to live in the lower 9th ward at Sister St. and Rampart in New Orleans.

Oddly enough, our landlord at the time had bought the house because of a proposed project on behalf of the Army Corps of Engineers to widen the industrial canal. Upon hearing that they would buy the property from him for 20,000 if the project went through, he bought it for less than half of that in the early 80's hoping to triple his money. Unfortunately he lost the bet.

I slept soundly for 3 years in a bed that was less than 20 feet from the levy that broke over 2 years ago allowing water to flow into the neighborhood settling at about 16 feet. I had long since moved to Los Angeles when the event occurred.

Back to the future. Nov 8, 2007.

Because we were in Holland at the time when this particular event took place, a country that prides itself in its technology and protects its citizens, whether rich or poor, from potential imminent natural disaster, we checked out of our hotel like nothing had happened and went about our business.

It was a non-issue for Holland, although they did mention that it was the first true conditional test that the levies had undergone since they built them after a flood that occurred in 1953.

Of course, nothing happened, so there were no headlines about it here. America will never hear about it.

But I have to say one thing:

Good work, Holland!!! YOU WIN.