St Lucia Estuary Stands Up to Irina

Tropical Cyclone Irina began her domination of St Lucia on Saturday morning with wind speeds of approximately 40km/h and steady, but not heavy, rainfall. Most of St Lucia's community, it seemed, were keeping dry and focusing their attention on the upcoming Super 15 rugby match.

Wind speeds and rain gradually increased throughout the day and night, culminating in flood-producing rainfall and steady winds of approximately 100km/h during the early hours of Sunday morning. Come sunrise, however, the rain had stopped and the wind had died down to approximately 40km/h, ceasing altogether shortly thereafter. This, it seemed, was the eye of the cyclone which sat over St Lucia for almost four hours during which a sense of calm took over the town and allowed its residents to inspect flood damage, both personal and public. At the time of writing (Sunday late morning), we are experiencing wind speeds of approximately 30km/h, increasing steadily, accompanied by steady, but not heavy, rainfall.

Tropical Cyclone Irina certainly left a trail of destruction around the town of St Lucia, evident in fallen trees, damaged electric fences and sitting water. Part of the new car park at Jabula Beach was obstructed by a fallen tree and a section of the road past Main Beach was flooded. On the same stretch of road, driving towards the Ipiva turn off, a tree inside the electric fence had fallen down, taking part of the fence with it. Whilst McKenzie Road had been left unscathed, apart from a scattering of minor debris, the road to the estuary was blocked just beyond the public slipway by a mass of trees, as can be seen in the accompanying photograph.

Fallen trees blocking Estuary Road

Broken electric fence between St Lucia Game Reserve & Eastern Shores

Irina's effect on the re-opening of St Lucia Estuary Mouth

Upon inspection on Sunday morning it became evident that, rather than an increased flow in the Umfolozi River causing it to break through to Lake St Lucia, the storm surge had removed much of the sandbar directing the Umfolozi River towards the estuary. This meant that the river mouth appeared no closer to the estuary than on Friday evening. 

 

On a more positive note, for those wanting the estuary mouth to be re-opened, the estuary was much fuller than prior to Irina and the storm surge had moved some of the small dunes on Estuary Beach (see accompanying photograph).