GEORGE NEWS - Farmers in the George area are delighted with the generous downpour last week as their dams are full and winter pastures got a welcome kick-start.
Within three days, from Tuesday to Thursday, 92,6mm was measured at George Airport, bringing the total for the month to 140mm. This is about double the 69mm average for April as recorded by the weather office.
At the water purification works, 109mm was measured for the three days, and a total of 169mm was recorded for the month, according to Manager Fred Goliath.
Early warnings of heavy rain issued by the weather office ensured that Eden Disaster Management was on high alert and had taken pro-active steps to lessen damage to property, said Gerhard Otto, head of the department.
George Municipality's Directorate of Human Settlements, Land Affairs and Planning provided emergency relief to about 393 families by handing out Gunplast to seal the roofs of informal structures. According to Media Liaison Officer Chantel Edwards-Klose these homes will be revisited and assisted through the municipality's roof repair programme which is a long-term and more sustainable solution.
The Civil Engineering Department reported blocked storm water drains and pot holes in roads because of the rain. A tree was uprooted on the corner of Valley and Davidson Road as a result of the wet conditions and in Wilderness Heights a tree fell on a power line, causing a power failure in the area on Wednesday. The electricity was switched on the same day.
Eden Disaster Management assisted at the breaching of the Touw River on Wednesday afternoon. According to Nellie Grootendorst, the senior section ranger for the Garden Route National Park (Wilderness section), it was not necessary to use the bulldozer as the water had pushed out to sea after reaching the 2m mark (above sea level) at about 12:45.
Rain earlier this month had caused the Garden Route Dam to start overflowing on 9 April. The level dropped to 97,8%, but last week on Wednesday, it was overflowing again.
In Hoekwil even higher figures were recorded than in town. Agri Outeniqua Representative Carl Reitz, of the Tura Kina farm, says he measured "at least" 130mm over the three days. "It is a bit muddy, but we have not had any damage."
Dr Philip Botha, a specialist in pasture science at the Outeniqua Research Farm, welcomed the rain, saying plentiful rain this time of the year creates a reservoir of moisture deeper down in the soil. "During the dry winter months when we also experience berg winds that quickly dry out the top soil, water in the underground feeds the surface. There is then less chance of damage to harvests."
Winter pastures, that are planted in autumn, also get a boost which enables them to establish well before the dry season.
ARTICLE: ALIDA DE BEER, GEORGE HERALD JOURNALIST
