More than 300 people died, while 500 000 were left homeless. DURBAN: This week’s pictures of old and new Durban were supplied by correspondent Mark Levin, who  found pictures of the 1987 floods in an old Sunday Tribune supplement.At the end of September 1987, KwaZulu-Natal was hit by freak torrential rains. After tennis matches the children cooled off in the large, oval pool. On the Jan Hofmeyr frontage, a hotel, Westville Manors, was built. Rescuers would later find the bodies of her husband and two children. “I kept asking to see my kids and the nurses kept telling me, ‘later’,” she said. They recently celebrated son Luke’s 32nd birthday. A long time had passed and they eventually brought a crane which lifted the concrete off me and I was rescued.”, Jaimungal was taken to hospital where she was treated for her injuries, unaware that her husband and two children were dead. “At some point, I was woken by noise and when I looked out the window, I noticed that the car that was usually parked outside was no longer there, but was down the road. -- South Africa - Natal, Cape and Free State. The highest recorded rainfall in a year in South Africa has been 180.5 inches (4585mm) at Jonker’s Hoek, near Stellenbosch in 1964. South Africa– Blue Sky Publications (Pty) Ltd T/A TheSouthAfrican Number: 2005/028472/07. The main cause was Cyclone Idai, which primarily affected Mozambique and Zimbabwe. He recalls that a neighbouring property still had a cow in the yard. The severe weather in parts of eastern and southern eastern Africa continues. It was described as the “biggest natural disaster in South Africa”. Jaimungal, who shares a two-bedroom house in Bottlebrush with her daughter and grandson, wiped away tears as she held a photograph of her young son. Between 28 and 30 September 1987, the central and southern part of Natal were ravaged by floods that were amongst the most devastating to have occurred in South Africa. Her husband’s brother, Deolal Jaimungal, and his 16-year-old daughter, Roshni, who also lived in the house, were crushed to death. 2010–11 Southern Africa floods; 2016 Johannesburg flood; 2019 Durban Easter floods; L. Laingsburg, Western Cape They are responsible for most large-scale extreme precipitation events. 1, pp. “When I was eventually told, it was devastated.”. The 2018–2019 South‐West Indian Ocean cyclone season resulted in a level of flood damage previously unseen in Africa (Masters, 2019). John Wright, retired KwaZulu- Natal history professor, recalls that dreadful month. His business prospered and in 1952 he purchased the rambling Northcliffe Avenue house, where he raised his five children, Mike, Peter, Anthony, Sally and Anne. The Natal floods of September 1987, where 327 people were killed, were proclaimed as one of the worst natural disasters to hit South Africa. C $2.24 0 bids + C $5.76 shipping . Empangeni was a small town with a big heart in that era of the calm before the storm. A suggestion is given of the key parameters that need to be taken into account, and a framework is given for models describing losses arising from floods, hail and tornadoes. One old Westville house in Northcliffe Avenue was partially washed away when an avalanche of water and mud cascaded through the property, taking the swimming pool with it. All rights reserved, Please visit the official Government information portal for Coronavirus by clicking HERE. On September 29, 1987, Durban was into its fourth consecutive night of heavy rains that had swelled the banks of the Umgeni River, uprooted trees, destroyed homes and soaked the city in … All rights reserved, Please visit the official Government information portal for Coronavirus by clicking HERE. The house was restored, but as with many old homes, it harbours memories. He would ride to the Westville pool, which opened in 1960, and hitch his horse outside the entrance. SOUTH AFRICA 1987 FLOOD DISASTER BOOKLET COMPLETE MNH 0436. However, in the past decade, across Africa, floods have overtaken droughts in terms of the number of people that they impact. 14-30. Recent floods in South Africa, such as those of February 2000 which occurred in the north-eastern part of South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, flooding in the Western Cape in ... ments, where no observed flood data are available (Pilgrim, 1987) This view is similar to that expressed in HRU (1972), Even as southwestern South Africa grappled with floods, intense fires raged in the northeast. modelling insurance losses from natural catastrophes in South Africa. Wildfires. © 2020 Independent Online and affiliated companies. Probably built in 1924, the house stood on the corner of Jan Hofmeyr Road and Northcliffe Ave. The destruction of property was catastrophic, nearly 400 people were … C $2.24 0 bids ... C $16.01 + C $3.20 shipping . At one time the Storms employed a dozen staff, including two nannies, for the younger children, and two chauffeurs. As Jaimungal and her husband tried to alert everyone in the house, the walls caved in and the roof collapsed on them, she said. On September 29, 1987, Durban was into its fourth consecutive night of heavy rains that had swelled the banks of the Umgeni River, uprooted trees, destroyed homes and soaked the city in muddy water. Southern African Journal of Aquatic Sciences: Vol. On one occasion his horses escaped and were found near the present-day Blue Heights Centre. We lived in subsidised company houses. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for SOUTH AFRICA 1987 FLOOD DISASTER SURCHARGE 16 cent + 10 cent BOOKLET MNH 0763 at the best online prices at … The violence in the Pietermaritzburg area flared up precisely in mid-September 1987. It was South Africa’s worst natural disaster. The Umhlatuzana Hindu Temple, south of Durban, in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, in South Africa, damaged after heavy rain and flash floods … The bodies of 119 people swept from their South African shanty- town in a flash flood on Christmas Day had been pulled from the swollen Umsindusi River by late on Tuesday (26/12). Those who were rescued included a 10-month-old baby which, according to reports at the time, was found virtually unscathed. “We had all gone to bed as normal that night,” Jaimungal recalled. In 1952 it was purchased by Jack Storm, the grandson of Captain William Storm, who founded the prominent shipping and stevedoring business Storm and Co in 1880. For example in some areas of the KwaZulu-Natal interior the cut-off low of September 1987 caused more flood damage than Tropical Cyclone Demoina in January 1984. The excessive rains that fell over much of Natal at the end of September 1987 resulted in damage estimated at R96 million to rural roads and bridges. floods Abstract: After a brief introduction to the theory of ecological disaster in the modern world, which more and more emphasizes the influence of human intervention in the ecosystems on the increasing number of disasters, this article examines the impact of the 1987/88 floods on a black periurban district of KwaZulu, South Africa. Damage was caused at more than 400 places and included 28 bridge structures, 130 bridge approaches and 40 causeways. SOUTH AFRICA 1988 DIAS FLOOD DISASTER SURCHARGE 16cent + 10cent BOOKLET MNH 1265. Another product of Westville Boys’, Luke is a Springbok paddler and Iron Man. It’s a ritual that the Chatsworth widow has performed for many painful years, but this year – as the 25th anniversary of the devastating floods of 1987 nears – Jaimungal is especially sad. Recent exam-ples include the 1988 Orange river flood-al-though the spit was breached artificially for safety reasons (SWART et al., 1990)-and the Natal floods of September 1987 which substantially altered the “September 29. Two weeks later came those unprecedented rains, three and half days of them. However, in the past decade, across Africa, floods have overtaken droughts in terms of the number of people that they impact. Picture Information. These are one of the most important synoptic-scale weather systems to affect South Africa. When World War II broke out in 1939, Jack joined the anti-tank regiment and, after the battle of Sidi Resegh, was reported missing. The main cause was an intense “cut-off” low pressure system off-shore which co-incided with a Spring high tide. Opens image gallery. Flooding began last week in parts of Mozambique and Malawi. When the rains eventually cleared, a total of 327 people had been killed and 1 362 people rescued in what became known as the Natal Floods. -- Zimbabwe - Honde River on Mozambique border, widespread flooding in rural areas. 23, No. Limpopo River in Gaza Province. Rivers: Paekma, Han, Kimgang, Kum. The Storms were one of two families to still keep stables in Northcliffe Ave in the 1950s and 60s, and Tony rode either of his two horses, Burmar or Pride, almost every day. Welkom, South Africa… His widow stayed on at the house, which had been converted into maisonettes, with Tony’s older brother, Peter, living downstairs before the property was sold in the 1980s. Jaimungal said that as she lay trapped under a slab of concrete, her concerns had been for her children. The largest hailstones were recorded at Mafeking in December 1915. SALINITY, FLOODS AND THE INFAUNAL MACROBENTHIC COMMUNITY OF THE ST LUCIA ESTUARY, KWAZULU-NATAL, SOUTH AFRICA. It was later demolished for a five-storey apartment block, now nearing completion. Floods in Cape Town (south of the area shown here) forced up to 40,000 people from their homes in shanty towns outside the city, reported ABC News on July 31. As recent as 2017, one of the most significant open wildfires hit a particular area of South … Rescuers who pulled Jaimungal out of the rubble of her demolished home the following day – she had spent 14 hours trapped under a slab of concrete – and who found her then 14-year-old daughter, Ashika, alive, told newspapers at the time that it was a miracle they survived. Flooding extended up to Souel. Suburban South Africa was deceptively peaceful in the early 80’s. Archival video of the 1987 Kennebec River flood in central Maine from the Gardiner Public Library Community Archives Room. Five family members in total died that night. South Africa – Deadly Flash Floods in KwaZulu-Natal Province. Floods claim more than 7000 lives a year worldwide and are the most commonly occurring natural disasters in South Africa. September 1987 floods Between 28 and 30 September, the central and southern part of Natal were ravaged by floods that were amongst the most devastating to have occurred in South Africa. “Time does heal,” she said, “but you never forget.”, © 2020 Independent Online and affiliated companies. The population worked mostly on the railways, other government parastatal or the mining industry. Pages in category "Floods in South Africa" The following 4 pages are in this category, out of 4 total. Address: Regus Business Centre 1st Floor, Block B, … Southern Africa: Botswana - Francistown and Mahalapye sub-districts -- Mozambique - Pungoe River in Sofala and Manica provinces. (1997). Heavy rains fell across southern Africa in early 2011. So he formed his own stevedoring company, Jack Storm (Pty) Ltd, which put him in competition with the original family business. -- On July 27 another storm inundates Souel and causes floods in southern provinces of Chollanamdo and Kangwon: 07/21/87: 07/29/87: 9 : 330 : 35,900 : $22,000,000 : Brief torrential rain: See notes : 1 : TsuCpSe* 9,040 2.1 : 1987-027: China : Xinjiang Province - 07/16/87 The youngest son, Tony, recalls a carefree boyhood playing tennis on their clay court, which had to be rolled and marked each time they used it. He had been a Westville councillor, commodore of the Royal Natal Yacht Club from 1955-1957 and president of the SA Yachting Association. Jobs in Africa Africa - Disaster Statistics A 'pre-designed' summary and profile of disasters reported for a particular region including a summary of events from 1980 to … Jack managed to swim ashore and saw action at El Alamein. It’s a date I will never forget,” she said from her Bottlebrush home in Chatsworth. 03/08/88: 03/15/88: 8 Destruction of property was catastrophic, nearly 400 people died and about 50 000 were left homeless. South Africa: 1987 500 Malawi, flash flood and landslide Malawi: 1991 500 Gauldal, landslide Norway: 1345 500: 2018 East Africa floods: Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, and Somalia: 2018 483 2018 Kerala floods: India: 2018 464 Lisbon flash flood: Portugal: 1967 449+ 2016 China floods: China: 2016 445 Western Japan, massive rains and landslides Japan: 1972 437 By then it had been subdivided. Jack Storm died in his home in 1979, aged 73. Around her, a team of rescuers used shovels, picks, hammers and earth movers to clear the rubble in a hunt for survivors. He had been on an Italian ship carrying prisoners of war which was torpedoed. For the past 14 years, the Nisbet family have owned the downstairs maisonette. 0–9. Some areas of the Upper South Coast received as much as 900mm of rain in four days. "At the time they (the floods) seemed completely incidental. “I could hear everything around me,” Jaimungal said. river mouths and estuaries in South Africa pro-vides numerous examples of floods shortening channels and carrying away spits. “I heard the people screaming, talking and crying. Tony went to Westville High School when it was still co-ed, and matriculated at Weston College. DURBAN: This week’s pictures of old and new Durban were supplied by correspondent Mark Levin, who found pictures of the 1987 floods in an old Sunday Tribune supplement.At the end of … Times Live reported that the government had issued flood warnings for areas along the Orange, South Africa… During cyclone Domoina in 1984, up … By early February, river flooding in South Africa alone had killed 91 people and caused over $100 million in damage, the United Nations stated. Orkney, South Africa: 52 0 31 August 1987 A methane gas explosion at the St. Helena gold mine severed the cable of a double-deck elevator, causing it to fall 1.4 kilometers to the bottom of the mine shaft, killing all 52 people on board. 30 years, floods and droughts are the two natural hazards that have the largest humanitarian impacts in Africa (Lumbroso, Brown, & Ranger, 2016). This list may not reflect recent changes . Every evening, Rukmani Jaimungal lights a lamp in the cabinet of her lounge where the framed photographs of her husband, Rohitlall, her 12-year-old daughter, Geetha, and six-year-old son, Ashen, are arranged. “Those floods took away my children; took away my husband, and even when I think about it now, it still hurts. According to a technical paper released in 1989, more than 900mm of rain had fallen in just four days over parts of the province. Durban and its surrounding areas. 10 others who were not in the elevator were killed in the explosion. 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