Across the Umbabat Private Nature Reserve (UPNR), rainfall measures this month broke all historical records.
A regional average of 631.8mm of rainfall was measured during the month of January, with average total seasonal rainfall thus far measuring 945.2mm - yet another broken record in historical data for the UPNR.
This unprecedented rain caused extensive and widespread damage, the vast majority of which was noted to river crossings, causeways and roads. With all rivers in the region flowing strongly, and every road having been saturated and water-logged, it has not yet been possible to assess the full scope of the damage. An aerial flight conducted over the UPNR was immensely helpful in assessing provisional damage and accessibility, and we are grateful to the pilot for her time.
Although it was a challenging two weeks of flooding, with limited communication channels and highly restricted movements, there was immense support and care shown by each region, and we are grateful for the camaraderie and teamwork. The continual communications and dedication from those regions allowed a combined effort of communal repairs. This was particularly pertinent to allow temporary safe passage across the Ingwelala causeway. This combined effort by staff from UPNR, UWCA, Ingwelala and N‘tsiri, over a period of a few days, allowed us to create a temporary bypass at the causeway to allow light-weight vehicles to pass.
We would like to thank all regions for their support and resilience during this flooding event and are hopeful that the coming months prove to be as smooth as possible as we all face the mammoth task of rehabilitation and repairs.
Words by Tess Woollgar. Images courtesy of Wimpie Pretorius.