This spot looked very diffrent on 1 Sept 1968, whaen a raging torrent came down this tributary of the Shark River, sweeping away everyting in its path.
"The Boet" just across the road was seriously damaged and the town houses at the intersection would surely not have withstood the force of the water. This intersection is still a water trap when it rains heavily
On 1 Sept 1968, 429mm of rain fell in less than 24hrs.
The devastating flood took the lives of at least five people and 30 or more were rescued. Cars and caravans were swept down the Baakens River, a normally docile stream yet prone to flooding. Eyewitness reports speak of cars bobbing like corks before being dumped further downstream.
In Newton Park, North End, Sydenham, Salt Lake and Gelvandale, people stood helplessly watching as floodwaters swirled through their houses carrying furniture, cooking utensils and clothing with them.
The following was reported by local news papers: “The meteorological office recorded clouds building up to a height of 40,000 feet as the storm worsened. “It was just like a huge funnel, picking up water from the bottom and spewing it out from the top!”
Meteorologists talk about floods in terms of 'the 40yr flood', the 'the 50 yr flood' and the '100yr flood'
The following rainfall figures from PE Met office provide some interesting reading.
(A flood event occurs over a short period of time. 2012 was not classified as a flood event because the rain fell over a number of weeks, but could not be absorbed by the already saturated soils).
First recorded flood event in PE: Oct 1823 - (no official figures available)
16 Nov 1908: 128mm in 24 hrs
1 Sept 1968: 429mm in 24 hrs
26 March 1981: 328mm in 24 hrs
22 May 2006: 115mm in 24 hrs
2-3 Aug 2006: 325 mm
2012 was the wettest non-flood yr in PE.
Although steps have been taken to divert water courses where development has taken place in PE, who knows what might happen when the next big flood strikes.
Alien tree species (like the Rooikrans containing the cache) are known to grow in dry river beds where their extwnsive root systems can reach the remaining ground water. The nodules on this Rooikrans are produced by a wasp that was introduced from Australia - where Rooikrans also comes from. These gall structures cut off food supply to the distal parts ofn the tree and it dies back.
Scources:
http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/SOUTH-AFRICA-EASTERN-CAPE/2006-05/1148253546
http://www.portelizabeth.co/videos/port-elizabeth-flood-1968/
http://www.crowsnest.co.za/content.asp?PageID=416
http://wikivillage.co.za/spotted-in-port-elizabeth/blog/1968-port-elizabeth-floods