Afferden, Hernen and Leur have been threatened for centuries by the Waal river flooding.
Around 1300 the river area was divided into protected areas within the dykes where the river water no longer had access, and areas outside the dykes, the flood plains, which were still flooded at high tide.
Nevertheless, in January 1995, all residents of Afferden and surrounding villages were evacuated because the water in the Waal was dangerously high after heavy rainfall. Fortunately, the water dropped just in time.