155:. Although the stream's catchment area covered only about 10 to 15 miles with a width of 3 to 4 miles, much of the destruction occurred in "reclaimed" land. The city experienced a rainfall of 3.25 inches, which alone was insufficient to explain the rapid transformation of a small stream into a 200-yard-wide and 20 to 30-feet-deep raging torrent within two hours. The floods even overcame a 150-feet-wide and 40 to 50-feet-deep gorge. The sudden rise of water gave people little time to escape, and some had to swim to safety, but a mule was fortunate enough to be washed onto the roof of the municipal stables while others perished. The water level rose six feet in just five minutes, and debris from an upper bridge obstructed the main bridge, diverting even more water through the town. The floodwaters stripped the maize fields down to the
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196:." The plaintiffs claimed that the Town Council's actions caused the floodwaters to be diverted into buildings where their goods were stored. The alleged wrongful and negligent acts included reclaiming parts of the river bed, constructing a roadway across the river with an inadequate opening for floodwater discharge, and building a low-height bridge with oblique supports.
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Following the litigation, the Port
Elizabeth Municipality sought advice from a conference of engineers, who provided their opinions on 27 May 1910. The conference, unable to determine the original river channel conditions, recommended a 100-feet wide channel to accommodate any reasonable flood. They
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began hearing the case. The plaintiffs were merchants who had incurred losses in the flood, claimed that the low bridge and raised roadway caused insufficient opening for floodwaters, and buildings should never have been allowed on the flood plain. The
Council was found not liable initially, but the
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Place area. The residents of
Cradockstown faced devastating destruction as the heavy rainfall lasted for four hours almost continuously, causing immense damage to previously fertile agricultural lands. The powerful water swept away thousands of bundles of forage and wood that had been prepared over
199:
On 9 March 1910, the
Supreme Court delivered its judgment on the case. The Court determined that even if a lagoon still existed, it would not have significantly affected the flood's course, as it was the most severe flood on record. Regarding the bridge, the Court ruled that public bodies were not
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The flood caused significant destruction as it surged through the town, particularly in the produce section. The main stream followed
Commerce Street, cutting off the Customs House located 250 yards from the river. Numerous buildings collapsed and extensive property damage occurred, with entire
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The flood washed away the railway bridge at the Creek, causing disruption to the train service between
Zwartkops and the town. However, repair crews swiftly worked to establish a system where trains ran to each side of the break, allowing passengers to transfer between them.
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stores demolished and their contents, including produce and merchandise, scattered for miles along the North End Beach. The
Harbour Board plant and the Port Elizabeth Electric Tramway power station also suffered serious damage.
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responsible for every possible emergency and that the bridge was designed appropriately based on foreseeable circumstances. The appeal was dismissed, and the plaintiffs were required to pay the costs.
29:
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In
September 1909, individuals impacted by the flood damage took legal action against the Council and the Commissioner of Public Works. On 13 September, the
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The damage in Port
Elizabeth was primarily due to the inadequate capacity of Baaken's River to handle the intense rainfall, despite its relatively small
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presented three alternative schemes, with the municipality ultimately adopting the "BB" scheme, proposing a channel length of approximately 1,600 feet.
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The flood caused over £250,000 in damage, equivalent to £38 million in 2023, but there were no reports of fatalities.
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Tilbrook & Bayley v. the Town
Council of Port Elizabeth and the Colonial Government
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depth, and all trees and bushes were swept away for about a mile along the river.
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The watershed of the Papenkuils River was also affected, causing damage in the
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Flooded Lower Valley Road near the Old Tramways Building, Port Elizabeth
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on the property were uprooted and carried a significant distance away.
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363:(1st ed.). Port Elizabeth: E.H. Walton Packaging (Pty) Ltd.
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merchants appealed the decision, and brought the case known as "
300:"Port Elizabeth of Yore: The Human Dimension of the 1908 Flood"
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116:, caused by a heavy downpour typical of the coastal areas in
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was a devastating flood that occurred on 16 November 1908 in
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Damaged stream mills and bridges along the Lower Valley Rd.
319:"Port Elizabeth of Yore: The 1908 Flood per the EP Herald"
250:"The Baakens River improvement scheme, Port Elizabeth"
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Port Elizabeth: A Social Chronicle to the End of 1945
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175:the past two weeks, as well as mature longstanding
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The famous mule on a shed roof during the flooding.
276:"Flood on November 16th, 1908, at Port Elizabeth"
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338:"Bridges over the Baakens River and its Mouth"
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282:. Vol. XLIV, no. 517. p. 15.
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254:Civil Engineering = Siviele Ingenieurswese
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468:1994 Merriespruit tailings dam disaster
463:1994 Dronka floods and lightning strike
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815:20th-century disasters in South Africa
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509:2009 Angola, Namibia and Zambia floods
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222:"Disastrous floods at Port Elizabeth"
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336:McCleland, Blaine (10 April 2020).
102:£250,000 (over £38 million in 2023)
57:16 November 1908 – 17 November 1908
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298:McCleland, Dean (18 April 2019).
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540:2010–2011 Southern Africa floods
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280:Symons's Meteorological Magazine
707:2023 African Great Lakes floods
664:2022 Kasese District landslides
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317:McCleland, Dean (24 May 2020).
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230:. 18 November 1908. p. 2.
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795:20th-century floods in Africa
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590:2019–2020 Congo River floods
550:2015 Southeast Africa floods
524:Early 2000 Madagascar floods
359:Harradine, Margaret (1994).
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37:1908 Port Elizabeth floods
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575:2016–2017 Zimbabwe floods
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565:2016 Johannesburg flood
514:2009 West Africa floods
124:to come down in flood.
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805:1908 natural disasters
790:Floods in South Africa
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30:considered for merging
494:2007 Mozambican flood
484:2000 Mozambique flood
448:1981 Laingsburg flood
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669:2022 Kinshasa floods
560:2016 Ethiopian flood
248:Pike, J. P. (1921).
810:History of Gqeberha
762:Arbaat Dam collapse
679:2022 Nigeria floods
504:2008 Namibia floods
489:2007 African floods
392:South Africa portal
342:The Casual Observer
323:The Casual Observer
304:The Casual Observer
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728:2024 Africa floods
699:2023 Africa floods
684:2022 Rwanda floods
649:2022 Bukavu floods
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519:2008 Benin floods
499:2007 Sudan floods
458:1988 Sudan floods
274:(February 1909).
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570:2016 Niger flood
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85:Heavy rains
70:Cape Colony
19:‹ The
784:Categories
208:References
740:Mai Mahiu
260:(1): 103.
183:Aftermath
177:oak trees
28:is being
157:ploughed
72:(now in
62:Location
32:. ›
21:template
172:Cradock
94:Unknown
131:Damage
91:Deaths
757:Sudan
533:2010s
477:2000s
81:Cause
108:The
54:Date
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288:^
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258:19
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236:^
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68:,
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76:)
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