Brass Bell takes a beating from spring tide
The Brass Bell in Kalk Bay took a beating on Saturday when spring-tide waves shattered its windows and flooded the restaurant and the Kalk Bay Theatre.
A video from social media shows overturned furniture, panes of glass on the floor of the theatre and staff walking ankle-deep in water.
The outside deck areas were also damaged.
In 2015, the restaurant suffered a similar incident when spring-tide waves crashed through windows, causing extensive damage and flooding.
Brass Bell owner Tony White said the recent damage had thankfully not been worse than 2015.
“This was not nearly as bad. A few windows have to be replaced, and debris has to be removed as well as general cleaning.”
The restaurant, he said, was open for business, including the Kalk Bay Theatre, which will have its next show on Wednesday night.
A South African Weather Service statement said waves of up to 9.5m battered more than half of the country’s coastline at the weekend, damaging buildings, sweeping away cars and eroding beaches.
Gale-force winds, high swells and a higher-than-normal spring tide had combined to cause a significant rise in sea levels along the coast.
“Maximum observed wave heights were in the order of 9.5m along the south coast while the east coast reported wave heights of 5m to 7m in height. Winds of +100 km/h were reported offshore along the Eastern Cape coast,” the statement said.
