High river brings floods
2005-07-21
AFTER three weeks of unseasonally sunny weather, the winter rain needed to increase dam levels, returned with a vengeance on Sunday, bringing floods to lowlying area.
Rain started on Sunday evening, and according to the forecast will continue for the rest of the week. A total of 95mm was measured in Paarl, and 130mm in Franschhoek with as much as 177mm in higher lying areas.
Due to heavy downpours in the mountainous areas, the Berg River was in flood and spread over its banks into vineyards and orchards.
Flooding was experienced in low areas of Paarl, where stormwater pipes and tributaries to the Berg River pushed back and overflowed.
In Kaplan Street the fire brigade had to pump water from some of the factories, and in Drommedaris Street they had to stack sandbags where a canal overflowed.
Water was also pumped from the building of Van der Sluys builders.
In Klein Reservoir Street, on the slope of Paarl Mountain, a water main burst, flooding the garden and pool of Flappie Barnard with muddy water.
The Wemmershoek Dam, which had risen to 53% in May, has risen sharply over the last few days, to 58%, and is likely to rise some more from the run-off in the mountains.
More rain is forecast for Saturday and again on Monday, while the weather will remain cloudy and cool over the weekend.
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