When paradise turns to panic: Living near a river during the floods [VIDEO]

When bamboo crackles, for Kyle and Sasha-lee Woodward, it’s a sign that trouble is approaching and right in their backyard.

But they love their river and would not exchange the house on the banks of the Klein Jukskei River for anything. The water sings for them at night.

On Wednesday night, the couple enjoyed an evening drink in their modest home’s little bar, oblivious to the river water slowly rising outside.

Suddenly, the water pushed the bamboo aside, sweeping some of it away. They rushed to gather all lightweight materials from the floor and hang them at a higher level.

This was the life they had been living since arriving at Jukskei Park in October 2021.

The couple experienced their first flood in Jukskei Park in March 2022.

“Being here on the river is quite scary; we just hear all the bamboo crackling and tree branches breaking and being swept away and passing by our house. Just the sound of that volume of water speeding is just at the next level,” Kyle said.

WATCH: The river flooding into the Woodward’s garden

Fortunately for the couple, their house was undamaged; however, their backyard and their neighbour’s were flooded.

Life near a river

When The Citizen team visited on Thursday, the area between the house and the river was muddy and slippery. The water had drained itself back into the river when it subsided on Wednesday night and early Thursday morning.

But their swimming pool was flooded with river water right up to the side entrance paving. Kyle, a chemist, wasn’t bothered by the dirty water in his pool because he knew what chemicals to use to bring it back to its normal state.

“We struggle with upkeep or our infrastructure in this area. My pool motor is a big mess, the garden is filled with sludge and silt, and it’s the same story with my neighbour next door.

“But I work with chemicals, I know what I should do to keep this pool clean,” he said.

Residents of Robyn Street, running parallel to the river, and all other residents whose houses were built on the river banks, endure this life every time there is a heavy storm.

They don’t run away; they just prepare by raising their household goods to higher places, including keeping them on top of cupboards, on shelves, and hanging some on the walls.

WATCH: The Woodword’s flooded garden

Still living with the damage of the last storm

Jukskei Park experienced one of the most intense storms that hit several areas of Johannesburg on Wednesday. DA Ward 115 councillor Mark van der Merwe said that these storms typically occur nearly every two years during the same month.

He said the damage to the bridge was exacerbated by the fact that it had not been repaired after the last storm.

Watch: Residents open up about frightening experience during floods

After the Wednesday evening storm, the Platina Bridge, which connects Jukskei Park to Fourways, was blocked off with concrete barricades to prevent vehicles from crossing the delicate structure.

A section of the bridge’s side barricades has been swept away, cutting and power and various telecommunication cables, resulting in a complete loss of electricity and internet connections in the area.

“It will be several days before we see electricity again, said Richard Neumann, an estate agent who lived and worked at nearby 450-unit Riverglades Estates for the last 25 years, believed the damage exceeded previous storm destructions.

A united community

Kyle Woodward blamed flooding partly on a blocked drainage system, including manholes and sewage pipes that spilled water into the river on storm days. It all comes down to maintenance.

“I think the municipality needs to jack up a bit. They must cut the grass first. We pay our taxes,” Woodward said.

However, he expressed gratitude to the entire Jukskei Park community, including residents, the community policing forum, paramedics and certain individuals for volunteering to help in the entire situation.

“It’s amazing to see our community come together to help in whatever way they can,” Woodward said.

As we were leaving, Sasha-Lee, who had resuscitated a dying fish in her front pond when we first arrived, found the same fish dead as we were passing towards the car. They weren’t sure of the cause, but Kyle said it was likely due to the dirty river water.

The couple’s efforts to save the little red fish from previous and future storms have proven fruitless.

These creatures are on the brink of facing the same fate as the butterflies a woman kept in her nursery at the nearby riverside public park. The raging river water swept away all those butterflies and various statues that once beautified the environment of Jukskei Park.

Sasha-lee said despite the challenges, she was not planning to leave the area.

“I don’t think we will ever leave Jukskei Park. It’s so beautiful here. You got the park, it’s so peaceful and tranquil. We got the river, which is so calming and relaxing. We have this sludge that changes the tranquility and peace into a disaster within a single day, but we will never leave here.

“For me, this place is fine.”