Durban starts massive clean-up

2007-03-20 07:41

Nivashni Nair and Sapa

Durban - Clean-up operations were under way in Durban and all along the KwaZulu-Natal coast on Monday, after freak high tides sent massive surf to pound beaches for about 24 hours.

Most of the damage to the coastline, from St Lucia in the north to Port Edward in the south, occurred during the high tide in the early hours of Monday morning.

While officials and residents along the entire coastline were cleaning up, others were doing their best to keep curious onlookers at bay.

Durban's beachfront areas were pounded by massive surf, leaving the city's famous Golden Mile littered with debris while emergency services rescued numerous people.

NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon said particularly high tides were expected on Monday and Tuesday due to the alignment of the moon, sun and earth.

Evaluating damage

This, compounded with the strong onshore winds, caused the huge surf, he said.

Property owners in areas like La Lucia, Ballito, Umhlanga, Isipingo, Bluff and Merebank and restaurant owners on Durban's Golden Mile had their hands full evaluating the extensive damage caused by Sunday night's huge waves - between six and eight metres - and strong winds.

Beachfront residents evacuated their properties and headed for higher ground, after rumours of a huge storm or tsunami surfaced.

The Durban Weather Office allayed fears of a storm.

Forecaster Colin Anderson told The Witness: "I just don't understand where people get this from.

"The whole situation on Sunday was a result of having the highest spring tide of 2.2m for the year.

Waves starting to abate

"At the same time, there was a deep frontal low and tight pressure, which resulted in gale-force winds.

"When this happens, there are always higher swells.

"From the pattern, we can see that the winds and swells are starting to abate.

"Today (Monday) it is about five to six metres and by tomorrow it will be about three to four metres."

He said reports of a cyclone, tsunami or massive storm were inaccurate.

"There is no cyclone. Basically, the worst is already over, but we have to caution people because they do not listen and still make their way down to the beachfront.

"People also are worried about the equinox, but I can assure you that there is no tsunami or earthquake headed for Durban."

Netcare 911's Chris Botha told The Witness that emergency personnel were on standby should anything happen.

Beaches cordoned off

"We are not on standby for a storm. The waves are still very big out there and we know that people are still going to the beaches so we have to be ready if anything happens," he said.

eThekwini municipality project executive for coastal policy Andrew Mather said the municipality had advised people not to evacuate their homes.

However, beaches had been cordoned off as a precautionary measure.

"We had to cordon off the beaches because swells are still high and people are going there.

"As for evacuation, I have heard that many tourists staying at beachfront hotels have relocated to other inland hotels," he said.

Hotels along the Golden Mile could not confirm this, but other tourist attractions in the area apparently lost "millions".

Steers restaurant owner Mohamed Valiallah said the insurance assessor had not yet visited his destroyed food outlet, but he was certain that the damage ran to more than R1m.

While Valiallah and other restaurant owners supervised clean-up operations, hundreds of onlookers gathered, cameras in hand.

ER24's Neil Noble described people coming down to see the damages as "disaster tourism".

Durban harbour remained closed on Monday afternoon.

The port was closed to incoming vessels on Sunday morning and all departures and arrivals were stopped at midnight.

- The Witness