Storm surge leaves CX shaken
The storm surge, high tide and resulting rough seas that struck the Southern Cape last weekend took no prisoners and did not shy away from causing damage to the CX region.
Knysna and Tsitsikamma were the hardest hit, while Plettenberg Bay was only slightly affected, with the brunt of the storm surge coming on Saturday 16 September. While no major infrastructure damage was suffered in Knysna, a significant amount of flooding occurred in the low-lying areas of the town.
This included Waterfront Drive, Old Cape Road, Leisure Isle and parts of George Rex Drive which were underwater at times.
There were also reports of a boat being ripped off its mooring in the Knysna Estuary and being washed up against the shoreline at the waterfront's service road off Long Street. The worst damage that was suffered was to the beaches on Leisure Isle, along the side of the island that faces south towards the Heads, where a large amount of soil was washed out into the estuary.
In Brenton-on-Sea, the wooden walkway down to the main beach was washed away. According to Knysna Municipality's communications team, this was the only real notable damage to municipal infrastructure.
Plettenberg Bay
Knysna-Plett Herald
correspondent Yolande Stander
reports that Plettenberg Bay was mostly spared while rough seas and high tide caused damage along the rest of the Southern Cape coast.
Other than a few beach walkway steps being washed away, water washing onto beach parking lots and the Plett Ski Boat Club deck being hit by a couple of waves, Plett escaped largely unscathed.
However, Bitou municipal spokesperson Andile Namntu said the storm caused damage to Nature's Valley, Keurbooms, Central, and Singing Kettle beaches. Several lifeguard towers and walkways were also damaged in these areas. Residents gathered at various viewpoints to watch nature unleash its power. They were even treated to a spectacular display by visiting whales.
The gathering of people, who ignored various warnings about the dangers, had authorities on high alert.
Tsitsikamma
The worst-hit areas for the CX region were east of Plett. The Nature's Valley SANParks rest camp, which falls under the Tsitsikamma Section of Garden Route National Park (GRNP), suffered significant flooding and had to be closed on Saturday. GRNP communications officer Phokela Leboa said at the time that officials were working hard at cleaning up the camp to reopen it as soon as possible, and those efforts paid dividends as it was reopened on Tuesday 19 September.
Further east, visitors had to be evacuated from the Otter Trail, which Leboa said took place without incident. The Waterfall Hiking Trail and the trails at the Storms River mouth were all closed, but have since reopened. The most significant damage occurred at the temporary structure that housed the Cattle Baron restaurant while the old restaurant is being rebuilt.
The Cattle Baron was washed out by
the storm, and sustained severe damage, according to Leboa. It was closed on Saturday and remains closed as SANParks staff look to get it up and running again. "The restaurant is closed until further notice.
“Park management is working on strategies for reconstructing temporary dining facility. More information regarding the temporary dining facility will be communicated in due course," Leboa said.
"We urge visitors to bring their own lunch. The park's shop remains open and operational to offer a convenient selection of drinks, snacks and cooking essentials, ensuring visitors have easy access to refreshments and supplies during their stay at the camp."