Adverse weather conditions wreaked havoc in parts of the Western Cape over the weekend. Image: La Rive/ supplied
Cape storm: LOOK at these before and after pics of a luxury Franschhoek villa
Franschhoek is one of the many Western Cape towns that was battered by a severe storm over the Heritage Day weekend.
Adverse weather conditions wreaked havoc in parts of the Western Cape over the weekend. Image: La Rive/ supplied
Franschhoek saw some of the worst damage from this past weekend’s Cape storm, with a record 299mm of rainfall causing widespread flooding.
According to the South African Weather Service (SAWS) it was the highest rainfall figure recorded on Sunday.
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Bridges and roads were washed away, motor vehicles were submerged, and homes were flooded. Floodwaters also deposited large amounts of sand/ silt and mud inside and around properties.
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One such property that witnessed the full might of the weekend’s floodwaters was La Rive – described as a ‘luxurious, exclusive, six-bedroomed villa located in the heart of picturesque Franschhoek.’
A deluge washed through the villa, depositing deep layers of sand and mud around the property. What was once a garden and swimming pool is now barely recognisable:
BEFORE:
AFTER:
BEFORE:
AFTER:
“We are absolutely devastated and heartbroken and know it’ll take months to get our place back up and running,” said Alexis Gillis, property manager at La Rive.
Click here to see some of the devastation in other parts of Franschhoek.
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Franschhoek in the eye of the storm
SAWS issued a Level 9 warning on Sunday for disruptive rain across Cape Town, parts of the Overberg and the Cape Winelands and warned that widespread flooding, severe thunderstorms, gale-force winds and rough seas could be expected.
The Overberg, Cape Winelands and Garden Route were the worst-affected areas, while parts of Cape Town grappled with floods, evacuations, road closures and power outages.
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Numerous reports of ongoing flooding incidents were received from areas throughout the Cape Town metropole.
The storm caused the Spaanschemat River to overflow onto the M42, opposite Tokai Forest, resulting in several evacuations.
Meanwhile, a powerful crosswind caused a Golden Arrow bus to overturn on Jakes Gerwel Drive on Monday morning.
