Page 4 — 6th June 2008 The Midlands Herald

The 1987 floods — so

what did happen 20 years ago?
This 20-year-on look at the 1987 floods was being prepared by Herald editor Russell Barnes for publication on its anniversary last September, when he contracted a
serious skin disease and suspended all future editions of the newspaper. He is now on his way to recovery, and for your interest still presents this look at those events.

“Normal business and community life

“Flood!”
been given temporary shelter by friends,
“Caversham Mill nearly came to a standstill on Tuesday when
Umgeni River broke its banks and started
relatives or neighbours.
“Water pipes across the Umgeni were also
damaged by floods” flooding low-lying areas in the early hours
of the morning. The front-page story of the editor, Garth
broken and at the time of going to press it
was still necessary for residents to take
Sutherland, of the town’s Weekly Herald,
“David (Taffy) Walters and his wife “Approximately 30 houses in the lower precautions with drinking water — purifying
in its 30th September 1987 edition.
Michelle and their two children aged parts of Howick bordering on the Umgeni by boiling, etc.
6 and 9 years have had to move in with were flooded out and had to be evacuated. “So far no deaths or injuries have been “At this stage residents can be thankful
their neighbours, the Christians, Most of these houses were in the white group reported and the Borough’s Civil Defence that there has been no loss of life and
because of the devastating damage done area with 12 houses in KwaMevana having organisation have done a marvellous piece although damage by floodwater has been
to their home, the ‘Old Mill’, by the to be evacuated. of work in keeping essential services fairly extensive let us not relax our vigilance
floods.” “The occupants of the houses in operating almost normally. as more rain has been forecast for the
KwaMevana and 20 families from Howick “Some of the cables stretching across the weekend.
The Weekly Herald, Wednesday 21st South have been given temporary shelter at Umgeni which supply Howick with “It was a weary Mr Strydom, the Town
October 1987 Midlands Hospital, the total amount being electricity were broken at various times but Clerk, who told me on Tuesday night that
just over 200 at time of going to press. thanks to the Borough staff’s sterling efforts he had nothing but praise for the community
“The whole of Jupiter and Moonwalk most residents were only without electricity and colleagues for the marvellous way
roads had to be evacuated plus parts of for a short period on Tuesday morning. everyone has rallied around to handle this
HOWICK Oakleigh Drive. “All of the residents from these areas have disaster.”
PHARMACY
1 Main Centre • 330 2102/3 • a/h 082-800 5256
The 1987 floods hit the Midlands hard
Let us help you According to editions of the local
newspaper of the time, The Weekly Herald,
Howick: The N3 bridge across the Umgeni
was closed to traffic, which was then diverted
suffered to heavy equipment, tools, office
equipment, and vehicles and stores.
widespread rains fell over the Midlands through the town. At the town’s bridge, the One of the more dramatic elements of the
get well, Russell ! area from Saturday 26th to Wednesday river was flowing at 4-5 metres above its disaster was the washing downstream and
30th September. normal level whilst further upstream 3-4 over the Falls of one of Impendle Bus
On Monday 28 t h traffic authorities metre rises were measured. Company’s buses. According to stories it has
received reports of flooding of dams and Two houses in Moonwalk Road were never been found.
Nottingham Road Brewing Co. rivers in the Boston area. flooded, one to second-storey level and the Services: Three overhead mains cables were
At about 3 o’clock that afternoon the other to ground-floor window level, and lost and related cables damaged, and various
May you make a good three houses in Jupiter Road to window level.
Umgeni River started to rise above the other power lines suffered temporary
recovery and get back normal dam overflow level, and Howick’s In KwaMevana, the waters reached under damage.
to your usual beat Civil Defence thereafter maintained constant window height in two houses, the tennis Power to the town was maintained
covering the communications with the miraculously through a single
comings & goings superintendent at the dam wall. line across the Umgeni bridge!
of Nottingham Road . . . The Borough of Howick, as The sewer main between
Telephone/fax: 033-266 6728 it was then called, convened a the SPCA’s premises in
meeting at 8:30 pm to carry out Campbell Road and Impendle
Nottingham Road * Natal Midlands
an appraisal of the situation, Bus Services (now Mahindra)
attended by town clerk Gerard was washed away. The sewage
Strydom, its “chief of civil pump station adjacent the river
defence”, chief traffic officer was unable to cope with the
Ian Stuart, borough engineer flood and stormwater entering
and assistant head: civil Ken the system, and sewerage
ENGINEERING Hobson, assistant town clerk G began flowing directly into the
AUTOMOTIVE SPECIALISTS Garside, and senior traffic river.
officer Johnny Oosthuizen. Numerous septic tanks —
Get Well Soon, They took measurements of
the rise in the river and paid a
Above: KwaMevana’s soccer field — here seen under water during the height of
Umgeni River — was severely eroded during the 1987 floods, in this picture from
mostly in Howick West —
overflowed.
Mr Editor final visit to the Midmar
The Weekly Herald of September 30th 1987.
There were water losses.
superintendent at 10:30 am, after which Mr court was washed away and the soccer field The 6-inch main pipe across the Umgeni was
98 Zeederberg Rd, Merrivale • 033-330 5408 Strydom informed the South African Police was severely eroded. swept away, which meant that Merrivale/
and the mayor of the threatening situation. In Howick West seven wattle-and-daub Heights and the lower end of Howick West
At this time the rise in the river had always houses were damaged, and in Howick South and Greenfields were without water.
been gradual but by 10:45 am it continued a number of houses were made uninhabitable Umgeni Water’s pump station adjacent the
O&S at an alarming rate of over 30 cm per 30 as a result of run-off storm water overflowing river was flooded and for a while Howick
minutes. into the buildings. was left without a supply.
ELECTRICAL Umgeni River bursts its banks The hiking trail and the natural vegetation Roads: Throughout the town roads suffered
The flooding continued to worsen and the that had been newly created along the river varying degrees of damage, compounded by
Telephone 033-330 5405 Umgeni burst its banks, threatening houses below the residential area were also the fact that the Natal Provincial Department
84 Main Street, Howick
along the riverbank and the lower industrial destroyed. had closed the N3 freeway and rerouted
Electrical, air conditioning area. Howick industrial area traffic through Howick.
& refrigeration contractors The river reached its highest peak in the The lower industrial area in Exchange As the supports to the Umgeni bridge were
early hours of Tuesday afternoon and Lane, Power Lane and Campbell Road saw under a raging torrent of water, it was not
maintained that level until Tuesday evening. various buildings flooded, including the possible to ascertain damage to the bridge
Wishing Russell a Thereafter it began to subsidise.
Extent of flooding and
Borough’s electrical workshop, its stores and and officials were extremely concerned as
other workshops, Trentyre, the Lions River to the stability of the structure at the height
speedy and details of affected areas Farmer’s Exchange (now Afgri), Monty’s of the flood.
Midmar Dam: At the peak of the flood Hydraulics and the Impendle Bus Company Telephones: In many parts of the town,
successful recovery. Midmar Dam was in extent over 130% full (now Mahindra Howick). telephones were disrupted, including those
with water calculated as flowing over the wall Despite the evacuation of the properties of the Civil Defence.
at a rate in excess of 1 000 kl per second. listed above, loss or serious damage was The Weekly Herald, 4th November 1987