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Coastal communities along South Africa’s Eastern and Western Cape were hit with a barrage of storm surges due to an extreme Spring Tide this weekend, causing widespread damage, flooding homes, and sweeping away vehicles.
Social media platforms were inundated with scores of videos and images capturing the sheer force of the massive waves, reminiscent of scenes from a disaster movie.
Coastal towns, including Gordon’s Bay, Stilbaai, Mossel Bay, Kalk Bay and Three Anchor Bay in the Western Cape, as well as areas of the Eastern Cape were affected, suffering significant damage.
We’ve gathered all the top footage of the most extreme moments from the weekend so that you don’t have to wade through the tides of video clips yourself.
Cape Town and Surrounds
Disaster management teams in Cape Town sprang into action on Saturday to assess the areas affected by the surges. Gordon’s Bay saw some of the biggest swells, which local residents managed to capture on camera, likening the wild waves to a “tsunami”.
On the other side of the bay, patrons at popular Kalk Bay restaurant the Brass Bell experienced an unexpected dousing when a massive wave crashed through the restaurant’s window, drenching them. Restaurant manager Chan Eddie described the waves as “massive” and recounted how the high tide, occurring around 14:00, led to repeated waves hitting the establishment, breaking windows and throwing furniture across the building.
Garden Route
Further along the coastline, as a result of the storm surge, all beaches in the Garden Route area were closed until further notice. Sadly, a 93-year-old woman lost her life in Wilderness, as she was pulled away from the shoreline by the strong swell.
Mossel Bay experienced waves reaching up to seven meters, accompanied by gale-force winds ranging from 60 to 70 kilometers per hour.
Watch on TikTok
The lush area of Tsitsikamma also felt the fury of the ocean as cars were battered by forceful waves.
Herolds Bay, just under 10km outside of George, experienced roads being submerged and damage to properties along the beachfront.
Gqeberha
In Gqeberha, emergency services rushed to Mangolds Pool Resort, where the spring high tide posed a threat to several caravans and structures. A successful evacuation ensured the safety of numerous individuals, including a dog, a bird, two women, two children, and two men. Miraculously, no injuries were reported.
KwaZulu-Natal
A man named Jason Livingstone managed to capture the terrifying moment when massive waves entered Mariners restaurant in Marina Beach.
Livingstone hung onto a wooden beam to prevent himself from being knocked by the wall of water, and 12 people were taken into medical care for minor injuries.
“It wasn’t one wave, it was a combination of a set of waves – the big swell running and the spring tide,” Livingstone explained.
