BY NOMALUNGELO BOOi
The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has urged motorists to be cautious on the roads due to high tides flooding parking lots, the freeway, and neighbouring streets.
According to the SA Weather Service (SAWS), the flooding, due to a storm surge as a result of the spring high tide and high sea state in excess of 6m, was impacting Willows Mangold Pool, St Francis Bay, and Kings Beach.
Gqeberha SAWS meteorologist Lelo Kleinbooi said she expected the wave heights to continue to be between 6-9m along the Eastern Cape coastline.
“The waves will start subsiding at 4-5.5m on Monday morning and to below 4m from late afternoon on Monday.”
The storm surge, Kleinbooi said, was an abnormal volume of water accumulating against the coastline, manifesting as a raised sea level which can result in coastal flooding.
“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.”
She added that the storm surge could still potentially affect places along the coast between Plettenberg Bay and Fish River mouth.
“The potential occurrence will significantly lessen from [Sunday] midmorning.”
Kleinbooi said the possible impacts of a storm surge included damage to coastal infrastructure and potential modification of beaches and dunes including beach erosion, vessels at sea taking on water and potentially capsizing, and a general disruption of beachfront activities.
Bay Roads and transport boss Bradley Murray said motorists should drive with caution.
“Residents should be careful on the roads as we are experiencing extreme weather conditions,” Murray said, adding that no casualties had been reported.
“We have seen footage and photos of the N2 filled with rocks and debris. We are sending out teams to assess.”
The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said its emergency services responded to Mangolds Pool Resort on Saturday afternoon where a number of caravans and structures were comprised by the high tides.
“A number of people [and animals] were safely evacuated — one dog, a bird, two women, two children, and three men,” NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon said.
“No injuries were reported.”
In the Western Cape, areas such as Gordon’s Bay, Three Anchor Bay, Sandy Bay, and Still Bay, were also affected on Saturday.
Lambinon said at Sandy Bay, the NSRI swiftly acted upon reports from eyewitnesses regarding a teenager on a bodyboard being trapped in rip currents.
Before their arrival, the teen successfully extricated himself from the water without any issues.
At Three Anchor Bay, a 25-year-old man, from Johannesburg, found himself caught in rip currents but managed to rescue himself.
Meanwhile, in Table Bay, a man was rushed to hospital due to hypothermia, but is expected to make a full recovery.
Daily Kasi News 