LAINGSBURG, South Africa - The town that flooded
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- Опубліковано 13 вер 2023
- Hi everyone! Welcome back to the channel. In this video, I visit the town of Laingsburg, situated in the Great Karoo region of South Africa and about 265km from Cape Town. It is a major transport and logistics hub, situated on the N1 that connects Cape Town with Johannesburg and, ultimately, the border with Zimbabwe.
Laingsburg experienced a tragic day on Sunday, 25 January 1981, when much of the town was destroyed by a flood. Given the dry climate, it is an almost unthinkable event, and one that shaped the future of Laingsburg in a profound way.
Join me as we see what the town looks like in 2023, learn more about the history and hear from some locals who lived in the area at the time of the flood. I also enjoy some local food - roosterkoek - prepared by a local celebrity, Tannie Poppie!
A special thanks to everyone who made my visit enjoyable and insightful. Please note that I have not been sponsored in the production of this video.
Let's go and explore!
The number of trucks passing through the town - insane! Your content has a unique edge with the historical information and your ability to engage with people. Informative and entertaining!
Appreciate your kind words! Really glad that you enjoy my content. Definitely no shortage of trucks or heavy vehicles in this part of the world.
Really enjoyed your commentary on this place you been to as a youngster and very depressing story especially during the crisis of what is happening today. Really appreciate show this video on this town and the people explain their own experiences during this difficult period and personal life what they witnessed on that day. Great video Willie and looking forward to watch more of these travels and other places from you thanks!
Thank you very much for your kind words there Simon! Just to be clear, I've never been in the town before myself, although I have driven through it. To see the town today in 2023 was a touching experience because I also learned about the 1981 flood at school. Life is tough in this part of South Africa but the people are friendly and have a can-do attitude. Cheers as always for watching and commenting!
Hey Willie, I'm glad to find your channel. Subscribed and watched some of your videos already. Especially the South African ones, since I lived in South Africa back in the 90's and I love to see the country and hear the Afrikaans language again. Unfortunately I never learned it, but I can still understand a few things.
Take care! Greetings from Hungary
Emily
Really appreciate the support and glad you enjoy my content! You should definitely return to South Africa at some point :) köszönöm!
@@willieexplore Hey Willie, yes I absolutely enjoy your videos. I've never been in the Karoo, though I've been to Eastern Cape some times.
I love the landscapes, and it is indeed very incredible that such devastating flood happened in this town.
Nice presentation of Laingsburg. My dad and I went through the town just before the flood on our way to Johannesburg!
Sounds like you went through the town just in time. Cheers for the kind words and for checking out my content!
A sad history indeed, that must have been horrific for the town. I was enjoying listening to Andrew's memories of it until things nearly escalated! Loved Auntie Poppie😊. Interesting, as always, Willie, very friendly people there.
Hi Sheila, the flood was tragic. Every town, village or city has its story but Laingsburg's one really touches you. The people were lovely and are salt of the earth characters. Cheers for watching and commenting, as always!
Lovely little town, stopped there many times on my visits to Durban from Cape Town.
Thanks for watching and commenting! Appreciate your engagement!
That's a great town. We were there last year October coming from Cape Town back to Thohoyandou Limpopo. I also bought a Tannie Poppies roosterkoek, really nice.
That sounds like a long drive, so definitely a Tannie Poppie roosterkoek is needed for a boost! Thanks for watching and supporting my channel, I really appreciate it!
Hi Willie, thanks for the video! Very interesting to see the Karoo in this light. That museum worker was not happy with your choice of company! I wonder what the background is...
Cheers Jasper! A very interesting part of the world to visit. Re the situation you referred to - I also wonder what the background is, but it is clear that there is a bit of history. Thanks for watching my videos and supporting my channel!
He is not a "legal" tour guide..... !!
@@emmerentiagroenewald3694 yeah I think some people were not happy with him...
9@@willieexplore
Baie interessante video. Sien uit om die volgende Karoo video te kyk.
Bly jy het dit geniet, lekker by die huis!
very well presented
Thanks for watching David! Appreciate the support
Dear Willie my heart was really so sad and overwhelmed, I live in Cape Town and as a teen came to spend my school holidays with a friend at her family in Van Der Merwe street, it was hot and dry, with nothing to do during the day because of the heat, you could only walk to the garage for I scream or cool drink the adults would rise every morning do all the housework and cook for dinner, I will always remember the food was dry no gravy in it😊I remember we could not waste water, I don't know the area any more the house I went to and everything else was washed away😢😢😢 only thing thing I have left is memories
Hi Luloa, that is a heartbreaking story. Many will have similar stories and memories too. Thanks for watching
The parents of my Afrikaans teacher (only child) in Durbanville High school died in the floods. They were in the retirement home of Laingsburg.
It was a very sad day for many! Thanks for watching
From England ... ? Never mind, Thank you for covering this sad history
I'm South African but live in England. Cheers!
I really enjoyed your vlog ....... brought back many memories ...... my husband and I travelled through Laingsberg about 5 weeks after the flood ....... very sad to witness.
Thanks for watching Gillian, glad you enjoyed it! I learned about the flood at school but never had the chance to visit the town.
Love the flag on the hillside, very cool. That is crazy how high the waters got in the flood! We had a flood here in Winnipeg back in 1997, we thought that was really bad, not sure how is compares to Laingsburg though that sounded really bad, but I believe our Red River crested about 25 ft above normal level. I was just a boy, but I remember our Prime Minister was on my street speaking to the volunteer groups installing sandbag barriers to try to hold it off. Very surreal experience! After that, we built a floodway just outside city limits connected to the river, and luckily it hasn't happened again thanks to it. Like my city, I am so happy to see this town has fully recovered!
It was my first time in Laingsburg but I've been familiar with the history for some time, as we learned about it at school. It was a huge tragedy in this part of the world and it still cuts to the core of the community. But life goes on and they are carrying on! Thanks for sharing that personal anecdote, sounds like a scary experience with the Red River!
South Africa is beautiful and the people are friendly ❤
Absolutely! Let's spread that message!
The floods in 1981 had many stories of hope as well as the tragedy's ,, and God moved in an amazing way in many lives.
Very true! Thanks for watching
Yeah, on that day I was a young 18 year old, sitting on the mainline train on my way to CT. Had never travelled before. I am from a village in the Eastern Cape.. previously known as Transkei. It was raining cats n dogs nd I was enjoing every moment. Somewhere near Weltevrede station, the train suddenly came to a dead stop. No one knew why. Then a while later a conductor came thru the carriages and announced that we could go no further as the railway tracks had been washed away. There we stayed for 3 days before being carted off in railway buses via another route to Cape Town. At least the railways provided us with something to eat nd hot water for kiddies bottles.
Thank you for sharing your experience! And it happened on your first travel experience...that is crazy. Cheers for watching!
My parents moved from Laingsburg just a couple of weeks before the flood. Their house was completely destroyed.
Hi Piet, that must have been a heartbreaking episode. What a sad day for Laingsburg. Thanks for watching!
I walked to school barefoot from the Koshuis over that bridge every morning as a child. In the winter it was frost and in the summer melted tar under our feet. It is really sad to see the major drugs and prostitution problems the town has these days. I appreciate your willingness to interact with the locals, but it was a bit naïve to walk into the bushes next to the river alone with someone, people are desperate there and unfortunately desperate people can be dangerous people.
Thanks for sharing your story, Francois! Regarding safety - don't worry about me, all done in the name of good content!
I like this town it's such a cool place and the dry climate is awesome 👌
It's so hard to imagine the flood in 1981 and the destruction that it left behind on such a massive scale but hey nature is unpredictable and humans can't stand a chance against the force of nature.
I'm looking forward for more south africa content keep it up man 👍👍
Cheers mate, a very sad history indeed. Glad you're looking forward to the content!
Ek het nooit gedink ek gaan ń video van Laingsburg sien nie 😅 verfrissend om bietjie Karoo videos te sien!
Ek het nog nooit daar afgeklim en gaan verken nie! Was baie interessant :)
the church was swept away and eighteen people together with a Pastor climbed on to the roof and were the pn;y people of the congregation tat survived
Some incredible stories on that day
Links toon 😂
Haha, kan jy glo! Toe verander hulle die naam :D
Jammer was in 1981 toe ons as polisie oor die landdaar was
Dankie vir jou diens, Piet! Waardeer jou ondersteuning re my videos
Ek is 67yrs ek is 2ure danaa Daar verby kaaptoe😂😱🌧️🌨️⛈️🌩️
Dankie vir die saamkyk en ondersteuning, Ivan! Jy meen jy was 2 ure na die vloed? Hoe het dit gewerk?
Wilie ek hou van Laningsburg ook maar hy het nie die sjarme e nromantiek van baie ander Karoo dorpies nie. Ek hou ook van die naam net soos Jy inkom van die kaapse kant moordenaars karoo! Groete Lima Peru
Dit was die eerste keer in 'n baie lang tyd dat ek die N1 gery het, en jy kan regtig aanvoel hoe die N1 die lewensaar van die dorp is. Ek wonder hoeveel trokke beweeg daagliks deur die dorp. Ja, die Moordenaarskaroo!
It is my opinion that any act nature is tragic and changes what is man made ! If you do not plan on history and mainly consider the origin of the river you will bear the consequences , no doubt in my mind!😢😢
Thanks for watching Trevor, was indeed a tragic day in 1981
Het as polisie beampte in 1980 daar diens gedoen om oorlewendes op te spoor tot by Florisdam as ook huise wat vol modder was uit te grawe op soek na vermiste persone sal dit nooit vergeet ons verskeie polisie beamptes oor die land daar ons kamp was langs Hotel en naby die polisie stasie was daar vir drie weke
Dankie dat jy jou storie deel, Piet! Dit is die tipe ding wat mens nooit sal vergeet nie. Die nalatenskap van die vloed word tot vandag gevoel in Laingsburg en omgewing.
Hey Hey Hey!!! Behave Man. Jy is NIE van Engeland af nie.
Otherwise you are doing a good job.
Haha dit is so! Dankie vir die saamkyk en ondersteuning :)
We fled Scotland after the battle of Culloden (to escape the English) and became... Rooibos farmers
Wow, Duncan, that is some story! Thanks for sharing and for checking out my content!