“This Is Not Normal Weather”: Plettenberg Bay Woman Shows TikTok Video of Storm Damage at Her Home

“This Is Not Normal Weather”: Plettenberg Bay Woman Shows TikTok Video of Storm Damage at Her Home

A Plettenberg Bay woman gave South Africans a real-time look at the destruction unfolding at her home on 6 May 2026, as a brutal cut-off low tore through the Garden Route.

maedrienne
A woman is seen balancing a glass door just so it doesn't fall off. Images: @maedrienne
Source: TikTok

Maedrienne, known on TikTok as @maedrienne, posted the clip just after 9am to show how bad things had already gotten. The storm had already left its mark all over her property.

When storms get real

Her balcony glass door was barely holding up, with the Perspex retainer already broken by the time she filmed. Water had pushed its way in, and a weaverbird was sitting soaked in the chaos. An umbrella had been thrown around by the wind, cracking the glass on her outdoor table.

Her carport structure was also coming apart under the pressure. Residents in the area had reportedly already been told to move their carports before conditions got worse.

Maedrienne was far from alone in dealing with the whole fallout. The Garden Route was sitting on a Level 8 severe weather warning, with wind gusts reaching up to 80km/h. Rainfall totals of between 100mm and 200mm were expected across the region on Wednesday alone. Homes in informal settlements along the Garden Route had already been destroyed before midday.

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Schools in Plettenberg Bay and surrounding areas were shut down as authorities scrambled to manage the situation. Gift of the Givers had teams on standby across the southern Cape to assist affected communities with temporary needs, including food and water.

See the damage in the TikTok clip below:

Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Jim Mohlala avatar

Jim Mohlala (Editor) Jim Mohlala is a Human Interest writer for Briefly News (joined in 2025). Mohlala holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Media Leadership and Innovation and an Advanced Diploma in Journalism from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. He started his career working at the Daily Maverick and has written for the Sunday Times and TimesLIVE. Jim has several years of experience covering social justice, crime and community stories. You can reach him at jim.mohlala@briefly.co.za