By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
A 93 year old woman was killed following the spring high tide that battered restaurants, houses and cars along the coast in the Eastern and Western Cape on Saturday.
A number of beaches across the Western Cape, particularly Gordon’s Bay, Stilbaai, Mossel Bay, and Three Anchor Bay in Cape Town had to be closed following the spring tide across the coastline.
“There has been quite widespread damage across the coastline, including sand dune erosion, structural damage, and we’ve learnt that NSRI Wilderness and paramedics were at a scene in Leentjiesklip, [Wilderness], yesterday (Saturday) afternoon where a 93-year-old female had sadly passed away,” said NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon.
He added: Our understanding is that she was swept off her feet by a wave that crashed into a car park, also causing cars to be swept along.
South African Weather Service (Saws) meteorologist Lelo Kleinbooi said the storm surge was an abnormal volume of water accumulating against the coastline, manifesting as a raised sea level which can result in coastal flooding.
“The waves will start subsiding at 4-5.5m on Monday morning and to below 4m from late afternoon on Monday.”
“This happens when you have a deep or intense low-pressure system passing through, and in our case an intense cold-front which passed south of the country.
“This results in a tight pressure gradient which causes strong winds that enhance the sea state. Additionally, if you have a new or full moon with this, you will have a good chance of a storm surge as expected waves will be enhanced even further during high tide.
“It’s called a spring tide, not because of the season, but because the water ‘springs’ higher and lower than when the sun and moon are at right angles to each other, causing less extreme tidal changes.”
City of Cape Town Disaster Management spokesperson Sonica Lategan said that disaster teams had conducted assessments around the Gordon’s Bay coastal area.
“Preliminary feedback is that some houses were damaged, as well as sand and debris left in roadways,” she said.
Disaster teams in the Mossel Bay municipality, which has 26 beaches, are still assessing the damage.
SAWS has issued a Level 5 warning for damaging winds and waves resulting in difficulty of navigation, damage to coastal infrastructure, beach erosion and possible rogue waves.