Ndlambe counts cost of gale-force weekend storm
Officials hope beaches will be usable by the festive season
Though beach infrastructure and car parks along the 80km stretch of coastline under Ndlambe Municipality’s jurisdiction took a beating following the high tide event at the weekend, the intention is to ensure that the beaches are ready for the festive season.
“We can’t confirm what it will take to repair public beaches and have them ready for the festive season because we are still busy compiling a damage assessment report,” Ndlambe spokesperson TK Mtiki told Talk of the Town on Wednesday.
“It is too early to say, but I can assure you that Ndlambe is working flat out to make it possible.
“There is still a lot that needs to be done before we will even know what we need to apply for in terms of disaster relief funding.”
A combination of gale-force southwesterly winds, driving massive ocean swells and the already extra-high spring tide caused extensive damage to beach infrastructure along the Sunshine Coast, late in the afternoon on Saturday September 16.
Coastal towns from Cape Town to East London and beyond experienced varying degrees of damage. The massive swells driven by gale-force winds intensified on Saturday night, leaving behind a mass of debris and destruction along the Ndlambe coastline by Sunday morning.
“Boknes car park near the lagoon has experienced structural damage, including the retaining walls,” community protection services deputy director Fanie Fouche told TOTT.
“The Bushman’s River parking area has basically washed away. Signage washed away and there was structural damage to the ablution block and sections of the Bushman’s Sea beach and the Bushman’s River Beach,” Fouche said.
The Middle Beach parking area in Kenton was badly damaged. “There was structural damage to the lower car park walls at Middle Beach and damage to the car park itself.
“At the Kariega main beach we lost our blue flag tower, so there is erosion there and at the Kariega slipway.”
Some streets in the Port Alfred CBD were under water on Saturday night, after the Kowie River overflowed, pushing water into the city centre. The area around The Duckpond commercial centre as well as Campbell and Van der Riet streets were closed to traffic.
Though water seeped into shops such as Traders Market in Van Der Riet Street, businesses reported no substantial damage.
The pier at West Beach, was repeatedly buffeted by high winds and rough seas, with water lapping against the walls of Guido’s restaurant and adjacent shops.
On Sunday a mass of sand and debris could be seen in the car park due to the beach erosion.
“From Flame Lily area, the paved section down at the bottom of West Beach Road, there’s a huge pile of sand in the road, so we have closed the road off on both sides,” Fouche said.
A section of the Kelly’s Beach embankment and part of the stone wall in front of the parking lot collapsed.
“There’s some damage to the disabled access ramp, so for now we don’t want people to use the facilities at Kelly’s,” Fouche said on Sunday.
Ndlambe Municipality’s Facebook page showed officials assessing the impact of the storm and cleaning up with the assistance of volunteers.
Ndlambe officials were deployed from Cannon Rocks to Fish River.
Meanwhile there has been an outpouring of shock and dismay after Kenton-on-Sea’s Carriage Rock was toppled during Saturday’s spring tide storm surge. Social media posts recalled childhood memories of the iconic landmark and popular swimming spot. On the Kenton Awesomeness Facebook page, photographer-philosopher John McLaren wrote: “Loss is not always a lament; sometimes, it’s the chisel that sculpts the masterpiece of resilience.”
Later, he commented in a more scientific bent: “Even at low tide the power of these waves is incredible.
“The kinetic energy of a wave is directly proportional to the square of its speed. With gale-force winds propelling huge waves faster than normal the energy increases exponentially. So it’s understandable that Carriage Rock would eventually give way to these powerful forces.”
According to worldweatheronline, at 3pm on Saturday September 16, the wind speed peaked at 43km/h with gusts up to 49km/h. At 6pm, the gusts were up to 57km/h.
The East London airport weather station recorded gusts up to 70.8km/h.
According to the Beaufort scale, a gale-force wind is 39-46km/h.
A severe gale is 47-54km/h.