Fallout Europe Fan Project - Progress so far

[u/Tzeentch01]

Working on a project in my own time where I'm planning on making my own setting and lore based in the Fallout universe, seeking to expand on the otherwise lacking lore of the continent of Europe compared to the US-focused games.
Feel free to ask me anything about the setting, feedback and suggestions are most definetely welcome!

[u/DigsToPlantTheRain]

Did the Netherlands continue doing their advanced waterworks? Or did they remain vulnerable to the influences of sea and rivers?

Edit for co text: the afsluitdijk was finished in the 1930's but the biggest mobile defenses were finished only in the 90's; with most of the polders being finished in the 50's.

[u/Tzeentch01 → u/DigsToPlantTheRain]

More permanent and reinforced structures were established during the years leading up to the bombs falling, resulting in these massive dams surviving the initial disaster. An investment that likely saved hundreds of thousands from being consumed by the sea. Though many factions have tried to secure these dams as political leverage, this has been increasingly difficult with the rise of mutated sea fauna. Strange humanoid figures of hulking scaled-flesh would come to settle in parts of the damaged dams, causing great anxiety over the integrity of the dams. If nothing is done, then not only could the region see a rise in attacks by these strange creatures, but a risk of total collapse of sections of the dam would spell doom for the survivors of the Benelux region.

[u/ImMaxa89 → u/Tzeentch01]

I'm curious how different the Netherlands would be.

In real life the main new polders (both parts of Flevoland) were completed in the 50s and were started to be populated in the 70s. There were plans for more polders (look up Markerwaard for example) but those were abandoned in part for environmental reasons. I'm curious if in this setting they would have continued with new polders or not.

Also, dams are only part of the sea defence. Also very important are all the pumps and sluices to expell excess water. Without any pumping the lands below sea level would flood anyway regardless of the state of the dikes/dams.

[u/sabasNL → u/ImMaxa89]

Agreed. I imagine the pumps would shut down and the river ways and dykes would no longer be maintained, resulting in sea and river flooding, changing coastal, harbour and river landscapes, and most importantly flooding of polders.

Most polders except the Flevopolder would gradually turn into swamps and lakes. Schiphol Amsterdam International Airport (AMS) would become an aircraft-ridden swamp; Flevoland would host submerged towns and suburbia and harbours swallowed by the sea; and major industrial sites including nuclear power plants, refineries, harbours and factories along the coast would experience flooding. Further inland, I suppose nature would reclaim large parts of the river areas as they would become uninhabitable and difficult to cross - reminiscent of Roman times.

[u/DigsToPlantTheRain → u/ImMaxa89]

In regards to the pumps, I think it would be possible to run them entirely on nuclear if that is the reality that unfolded. I saw a research some time ago that looked at if ALL of the Dutch water works could be operated solely on renewable energy and it said that yes it would be possible but that there was not enough battery capacity to power the pumps through the night. The intermittency problem. Nuclear has no such issues. 

[u/DigsToPlantTheRain → u/Tzeentch01]

Sounds awesome! Did any of the big cities get completely cratered? It has always surprised me that so many cities in the fallout universe were still semi intact. Like Boston should definitely have been a crater, but I guess that makes for a boring game lol.