By Kouthar Sambo

Coastal areas in Gordon’s Bay and Kalk Bay in the Western Cape underwent excessive wave movement and strong winds yesterday, which impacted communities along the coast.

“Alhamdulillah (all praise is due to Allah), the impact of the rough seas was not very serious. It was a few houses on the beachfront, were affected, and a few cars were washed around. Our Masjid (place of prayer for Muslims) has been safe and unaffected,” said the Chairperson of the Gordon’s Bay Islamic Society Cassim Peer.

Meanwhile, Disaster Management teams were deployed to evaluate the impact of the situation.

This comes after initial assessments revealed damage to garage doors of eight properties in the Bikini Beach area of Gordon’s Bay, coupled with sand and debris across the impacted areas.

“Clean-up operations in Bikini Beach are underway, while Traffic Services and Law Enforcement assisted with road closures. There have also been reports of damages to the St. James tidal pool with excessive sand and rocks being deposited in the passenger tunnels,” saidthe Disaster Risk Management Centre (DRMC) in a statement.

“Additional assessments were completed at the Brass Bell restaurant. There has been some damage to seating areas, broken windows, and the indoor tidal pool filled with sand and rocks. One person sustained minor injuries,” added the DRMC.

According to the DRMC, the restaurant is partially closed to the public, as the staff is currently busy with mop-up operations. 

Additionally, the South African Weather Services issued an advisory warning of persistent “rough and choppy seas,” which is predicted to subside by this evening.

Speaking to VOC news, the National Sea Rescue Institute’s (NSRI) spokesperson Craig Lambinon said NSRI is on standby and is monitoring the situation. Lambinon has urged the public to exercise caution.

“NSRI are preparing for the New Moon Spring tide high tide this afternoon, and NSRI and emergency services are on high alert but the storm surge sort of appeared again this morning during the low tide where the tide being lower than normal, causing a set of waves to heighten the waves high than expected in places around the coastline,” said Lambinon.

“This will affect the whole coastline and we are appealing to the public to be cautious and prepared. Do not deliberately put yourself in danger and be aware that we have a high tide coming between 3 pm and 5 pm today,” added Lambinon.  

Photo: Supplied