Worst Storm Surge in 20 years leaves SA’s coastal towns battered…

The storm surge that battered South Africa’s coastal towns - leaving death and destruction in its wake - was the worst in 20 years. That is according to Gerhard Otto, the Head of the Disaster Management Centre of the Garden Route. He speaks to BizNews after a stormy weekend in which freak waves crossed roads in tsunami-like fashion to flood restaurants, homes and parking lots. He reveals the extent of the damage to infrastructure - and says that longer term repair work could take between six months and a year. He lists the factors that combine to form “perfect storms; explain why they could get even bigger in future - and appeals to the public to heed storm surge warnings. - Chris Steyn