This Railway bridge was one of the causes for the Laingsburg flood.
Trees and all sorts of debris brought down by the river got caught on the bridge causing a blockage and a dam wall effect. The water from the three rivers could not pass underneath the bridge fast enough and quickly raised filling the town with water and turning it into a dam.
When the embankments leading to the bridge gave way, it caused the water to rush out of the town and pull everything with it.
THE LAINGSBURG FLOOD ~ THE DAY OF THE BUFFELS RIVER
25 JANUARY 1981
The Laingsburg flood of 25 January 1981 is known as the most serious disaster in the history of South Africa. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday the 25th rain fell continuously in and around Laingsburg, a small town in the Karoo between Cape Town and Beaufort West. At first the rain was gentle as a result of a low pressure system. But from Saturday afternoon to Sunday a high pressure system brought heavy thunder showers to the catchment area. Up to 425 mm rainfall was recorded that week-end, whereas the normal rainfall per annum is only 175 mm.
By 08:00 on the Sunday morning the Buffels River, on whose banks the town is built, was in flood and overflowing into the town. Simultaneously there was a confluence of two rivers, the Baviaans and the Wilgerhout, flowing from the area to the north known as the Moordenaars Karoo, which caused a high volume of water to accumulate at one time. This water entered the main stream just in front of the railway bridge towards the south of the town causing a natural blockage. Pressure against the railway bridge is estimated to have been 8000 tons per second. The level of the Buffels River rose dramatically at about 12:00 and by 14:00 the town (CBD) was under water.
Residents of Laingsburg, who were used to seeing the Buffels River in flood from time to time, thought that it would soon subside again, not realizing that this was a devastating flood that would hit the town with masses of water coming from an extensive catchment area. Moreover, the railway bridge and the road bridge over the N1 caused a huge obstruction as trees, plants, rocks, animals and many other objects blocked the flow of the river. Within seconds, the town was turned into a dam. People climbed onto the roofs of their houses or into trees and fled to higher ground wherever possible, but everything happened so quickly and so unexpectedly that many lives were lost. When the gravel embankments leading to the bridges gave way, the water ran at a tremendous speed carrying everything away. In the blink of an eye, houses, people, almost the whole town disappeared.
The loss of life in Laingsburg was a hundred and four men, women and children. A hundred and eighty five houses, a home for the aged, school hostels, four rondawels and twenty-three business premises were destroyed. Survivors of the flood tell stories of how they were washed down river, some clinging to anything that would float, how they clambered to safety along the banks or found themselves floating in the Floriskraal Dam among heaps of debris, 21 km from town. The number of bodies that were recovered was 32 and 72 were never found.
The flood water level is recorded by signs at various places in the town today, including the inside wall of the Dutch Reformed Church. It is remarkable to note how the survivors of this disaster recovered after their terrible shock and how they worked together to restore the town. In this they were helped not only by an indomitable spirit but by their willingness to share and to assist one another. Many did voluntary work : There were first aid workers, those who cooked meals in a general camp kitchen every day, the town planners, those who offered counsel and many others. Business owners were generous: To mention a few, Wimpy handed out food to the survivors and Solomon’s General Dealer opened its doors to all to take what was needed. The owners of the Laingsburg Hotel provided refreshments to the voluntary workers.
Help streamed in from sympathetic people all over the country and a fund was started to assist the victims. Official help could only reach Laingsburg on the Monday after the flood since the infrastructure had been washed away. Government supported the flood victims with temporary housing and later built new houses, a sport complex and a new school hostel and restored the business centre for a total amount of R10 million. “Die Burger” and other newspapers started disaster funds which brought in R3 million, the Lions helped to build a home for the aged and the Red Cross gave generous help.
Credit:
Laingsburg Tourism
http://www.infolaingsburg.co.za/flood.html