Snowbirds in Botswana: "Rain Day"

Well in Canada we are used to “snow days” when schools are closed or the school buses do not run here in Thamaga were are having a “rain day”.

It has been raining since last evening and it has been coming down steadily and with an intensity that is quite remarkable.

Thus when we got up around 6:30 a.m. the yard was flooded with the water rising noticeably. It was just about at the height of the main floor.

The problem is that our property slopes slightly from west to east. So any stormwater that is created on the property (all the paving stones don’t help with water infiltration) runs to the east and is blocked by the back wall of the compound which acts as a dam.

Luckily there are 4 drainage holes at the bottom of the wall but they can get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of water.

More detrimental was the fact that the stormwater in the “street” in front of our house was acting like a river carrying water to the east. However, there was a grade difference that meant the water instead of simply running past the house was coming in through our front gate and running east along the north side of the house. A real rushing stream carrying sand with it!

Binnie with a hoe and the Tenant and I with shovels created a swale to divert the water back along the street outside our wall. We also created 2 small sand dikes to re-route the water.

Once this was done and the path for water through our yard was blocked, the water inside the yard has started to drop.

However, I bet you there was a good 9" of water ponding behind the house and 3 or 4" inches in front of the house as the following pictures will quantify.

The next problem is when the rain stops and the sun comes out, we will have quite a bit of silt all over the yard. Not bothered about behind the house but the courtyard is gong to have to be washed.

We used to have a long hose, but just looking now, it seems to have disappeared...

I assume “borrowed”. So we will have to get another hose.

The other precaution we will have to take is to get a collection of sandbags to be able to utilize quickly when, or if, we have to divert stormwater again in the future. We can store them in the garage in the meantime.

While talking about our own stormwater issue, don’t forget this rain and running water is happening all through the village and looking at the skies I would suggest in a quite large geographic area.

Thus, all the “streets” have turned to muddy rivers and everyone simply stays put in home.

Because of the predominantly warm/hot climate, Botswana is essentially an outdoor country. As long as you have shade you can function outside. Cold temperatures are not an issue.

Thus, all the informal shops and vendors really cannot deal with too much rain and everyone essentially sits tight until the rain stops and then evaporates or disappears into the ground.

In the same vein, the 2 kids next door did not go to school although they were ready to go.

Throw in that the power has been off and it is quite gloomy and dark inside the house.

Luckily my laptop was fully charged up, so I can work away in the meantime. However, I don’t have access to the internet until the power comes back.

And also luckily I didn't encounter any snakes floating in the water or hiding in the "pond" in front of the house. Thanks to Binnie to warn me to watch out for snakes!