Flood Disaster Medals. Much of the Netherlands lies below sea level. The threat of flooding is thus ever-present. Dikes, dams and polders were created to control the water. Still, these safety measures sometimes failed. Each century witnessed disastrous floods, with levees breaching and the countryside being inundated. The North Sea Flood of 1953 led to the construction of the Delta Works. Thanks to this major intervention the country has since remained dry.