"In 1997 when there was so much water, it was only water though.

Wednesday we had much more water and mud, which we did not have in 1997.

This is the biggest flood ever," said Kurt Schlenter, general manager of the Sossusvlei Lodge.

The Lodge received 72 mm of rain within an hour on Wednesday afternoon, while 85 mm fell inside 45 minutes at the Sesriem Camp.

At the NWR's Sesriem Camp the reception, storeroom, shop and campsites are submerged in mud and water.

Workers' houses have also been damaged.

The Tsauchab River came down in flood and nearly reached the vlei at Sossusvlei.

The last time this happened was in the year 2000.

A smaller river, which workers say they haven't seen in flood in 20 years, was also overflowing its banks.

The water ran through all 45 bungalows and the three family units at Sossusvlei Lodge.

All the rooms were full of water and the verandas covered in mud.

Fifteen rooms have already been cleaned and are fully operational again.

Lightning knocked out the lodge's power supply, computers and telephones.

The storm water itself not only flooded the rooms but also damaged the pipelines and sewerage lines.

These have since been repaired and it's business as usual.

Fourteen people who were camping at the site are all unharmed, although their belongings are very muddy.

The campsite has no available fuel at the moment, as specialists must first come and test the petrol to determine if any water leaked into the tanks.

The roads in the area suffered some damage and motorists are asked to be careful.

The road leading into Sossusvlei is accessible only with a 4x4, as the Tsauchab River has washed over the road.

Sesriem Canyon is also full of water.

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