The fury of nature causes Walter Sisulu NBG bridge to collapse
A 10 ton concrete slab of a bridge crumbled under the force of floods at the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden as torrential rains fell in the West Rand over the weekend (17-19 February 2012).
Torrential Downpour
The downpour that started on Sunday at midday continued to pound the area until Monday morning, In total 85 mm of rain fell. It collected in the stream that feeds into the Crocodile River, causing it to overflow.
The Waterfall could be heard roaring in the distance, echoing as it gushed down. Its volume had increased threefold with muddy, brown water - a far cry from its normal clear colour.
Garden battered by storm
The whole Garden was battered by the rain and littered with leaves, thus requiring a massive cleanup. At the collapsed low level bridge 20 m tall Celtis africana trees were uprooted and lying far from the bed of the river.
The collapsed bridge was littered with trees and vegetation washed away by the force of the water. The entire area was cordoned off while the flood damage, running into thousands of rands, was assessed.
Unstable weather patterns
Unstable weather patterns in Gauteng this summer have caused either extreme heat (often in the high 30s) or flooding, resulting in loss of lives and damage to properties and infrastructure.
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