© Jack Kruf (2008) Storm is coming [digital]. Breda: Private collection

Storm is coming over Elba. The storm clouds hunt the ferry down and will soon role over it. It was between the Italian mainland and this mystic island, by the way on a beautiful summer’s day. It is one of those moments in life when seeking shelter and safety for this storm and rain was really urgent and factually last second. It was short but fierce.

It is always on this evening – the 31st of January – when I remember my father’s stories on the evening when the raging storm in 1953 arrived in our hometown, Halsteren. It brought over miles of land the sea (5 meter high) only a few hundreds of meters from his house, taking peoples houses, farms and life’s. He would ride out that night to help and rescue.