The North Sea flood on the night of 31 January and the morning of 1 February 1953 caused 1,836 deaths in the southwest of the Netherlands. Because of the relative high altitude, most parts of Zuid-Beveland (mainly the area of Goes) were relatively safe. In particular the eastern part of the peninsula suffered from floods. To prevent future floods, the Delta Works were started in 1950. As a side-effect, the connection with the rest of the country improved too.