Maddy & the Little Tart's SYMplistic rides & general banter

[ROAD HOG]

Sorry, just returned from my water crossing, will respond to above absurdities in due course

 

[MaddyS]

Sorry, but I really am too far to visit you.

What's a bike ride amongst friends I'll make an effort to visit you in the psych ward

 

[MaddyS]

Sorry, just returned from my water crossing, will respond to above absurdities in due course

View attachment 820149View attachment 820150

Oh shush, Peanut. Don't you have work to do or bike mechanics to study

 

[MaddyS]

Hard to believe that this is the place where we were going to initially camp at. So much damage and the second flooding within a year. My heart goes out to the people along the Vaal.

https://www.facebook.com/campingchristiana

 

[punisher]

Hard to believe that this is the place where we were going to initially camp at. So much damage and the second flooding within a year. My heart goes out to the people along the Vaal.

https://www.facebook.com/campingchristiana

yup ........... its been tragic for some people along the river , in a lot of cases though ........... people have built below the known flood line

 

[Wildwindfr]

Sad to see, it is however a problem as many people just don't take the flood levels into consideration.
As I often work with Ecologist as part of an Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA). This is one of the biggest problems they have is to convince developers not to build in the flood lines.

 

[TheBear]

Hard to believe that this is the place where we were going to initially camp at. So much damage and the second flooding within a year. My heart goes out to the people along the Vaal.

https://www.facebook.com/campingchristiana

Unfortunately, holiday resorts are on river banks and as such, first in the firing line when rivers get angry.

 

[punisher]

Sad to see, it is however a problem as many people just don't take the flood levels into consideration.
As I often work with Ecologist as part of an Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA). This is one of the biggest problems they have is to convince developers not to build in the flood lines.

i would have thought it would be illegal , and thus the developers, and even the transfer lawyers could be sued ............................ no wait

 

[Wildwindfr]

It is suppose to be illegal, but as you know, a KFC box or envelope, sorts out many things.

 

[MaddyS]

Unfortunately, holiday resorts are on river banks and as such, first in the firing line when rivers get angry.

yup ........... its been tragic for some people along the river , in a lot of cases though ........... people have built below the known flood line

Sad to see, it is however a problem as many people just don't take the flood levels into consideration.
As I often work with Ecologist as part of an Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA). This is one of the biggest problems they have is to convince developers not to build in the flood lines.

i would have thought it would be illegal , and thus the developers, and even the transfer lawyers could be sued ............................ no wait

It's not about a river getting angry, it is incompetence of whoever should have been watching dam levels and slowly initiating the opening of sluice gates (which were not maintained either). If people did their jobs, a lot of houses would have been saved, except those below the flood lines of course.

Insurance companies might be having fun with those who are below the flood line after this disaster. Estate agents could also be in trouble if they did not declare that the houses they sold were below flood lines. A lot of trouble could start if people know what to look for legally...in my opinion.

 

[TheBear]

It's not about a river getting angry, it is incompetence of whoever should have been watching dam levels and slowly initiating the opening of sluice gates (which were not maintained either). If people did their jobs, a lot of houses would have been saved, except those below the flood lines of course.

Insurance companies might be having fun with those who are below the flood line after this disaster. Estate agents could also be in trouble if they did not declare that the houses they sold were below flood lines. A lot of trouble could start if people know what to look for legally...in my opinion.

No Maddy, it is not incompetence. The dams can only hold back so much and God's water will flow across God's earth. We have these extremely wet cycles every 12 - 15 years. We saw flooding to this level in 75/76 already and again in the early 90s and then around 2011. Human beings, however clever we think we are, will occasionally get the crap kicked out of them by nature.

 

[MaddyS]

No Maddy, it is not incompetence. The dams can only hold back so much and God's water will flow across God's earth. We have these extremely wet cycles every 12 - 15 years. We saw flooding to this level in 75/76 already and again in the early 90s and then around 2011. Human beings, however clever we think we are, will occasionally get the crap kicked out of them by nature.

I would have to disagree with you on one aspect. I agree that flash floods do occur and nature kicks butt, but this is a dam that had its sluice gates opened at once, 12 of the 60 sluice gates to be exact. During the heavy rains it should have been obvious that dams would fill up and that is when dam watch begins. Once the dam reaches a certain level that is when sluice gate opening is initiated. This is how even Theewaterskloof Dam was operated when we used to have massive WC rains or even when the snow melted. There is or used to always be a person watching dam levels. We used to do the same thing on the farm with the three dams that were there too.

 

[TheBear]

But they did open the Vasld

I would have to disagree with you on one aspect. I agree that flash floods do occur and nature kicks butt, but this is a dam that had its sluice gates opened at once, 12 of the 60 sluice gates to be exact. During the heavy rains it should have been obvious that dams would fill up and that is when dam watch begins. Once the dam reaches a certain level that is when sluice gate opening is initiated. This is how even Theewaterskloof Dam was operated when we used to have massive WC rains or even when the snow melted. There is or used to always be a person watching dam levels. We used to do the same thing on the farm with the three dams that were there too.

But they did open the Vaaldam gates 1 at a time over quite some time before they got to 12. All we saw, as we did since these dams were built, is that there comes a time when we cannot control nature anymore. My cousins who farms just above Bloemhof dam measured 50% of their annual rainfall in two weeks during early February.

 

[MaddyS]

But they did open the Vasld

Russian? Sorry, you will need to translate

Just on a point of interest. The DWS stated that they opened 12 at once on the weekend, but there again, this is the ANC and 12 at once could mean many a thing in this country. They also stated that people were given 24 hrs notice after alerting them to the fact that they will be opening 12 gates on the weekend. Who knows

 

[TheBear]

Russian? Sorry, you will need to translate

Just on a point of interest. The DWS stated that they opened 12 at once on the weekend, but there again, this is the ANC and 12 at once could mean many a thing in this country. They also stated that people were given 24 hrs notice after alerting them to the fact that they will be opening 12 gates on the weekend. Who knows

I think they mistyped, or you misread. They have been opening gates over a period of time.

 

[TheBear]

I think they mistyped, or you misread. They have been opening gates over a period of time.

The article below shows that on 18 Feb, 6 Gates were already open. They opened 4 more and warned more may be opened.

https://www.news24.com/news24/south...-pressure-after-heavy-rains-flooding-20230218

 

[MaddyS]

https://ewn.co.za/2023/02/20/residents-blame-rand-water-for-man-made-vaal-floods

 

[TheBear]

https://ewn.co.za/2023/02/20/residents-blame-rand-water-for-man-made-vaal-floods

Of course they will. Just like they did in the 70s, 90s and 2011.

 

[MaddyS]

I concede to your brilliant mind (It truly hurts saying that) and found an article by the "government". They did open gradually, but I still blame man for this disaster

https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/vaal-dam-water-levels-closely-watched

 

[TheBear]

I concede to your brilliant mind (It truly hurts saying that) and found an article by the "government". They did open gradually, but I still blame man for this disaster

https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/vaal-dam-water-levels-closely-watched

I am too humble and shy to respond to some of your post.

It is man's fault. We build the dams. We build our houses too close to the river. I grew up in Vanderbijlpark. I remember the court cases between Rand Water and developers who wanted to build below the flood line. Rand Water lost in High Court.