A museum commemorating the great Laingsburg flood of 1981 has been founded in the town, thanks to the dedication and enthusiasm of the residents of the town, and in particular Francis van Wyk. The Laingsburg Flood Museum possesses extensive documentation of the cataclysm and administers a special website, www. infolaingsburg.co.za.

There is a cemetery with a wall plaque bearing the names of many of the victims.

The museum also takes people through a flood route through the town and out along the course of the Buffels River, and an art route created by the students of the Art Department of the University of Stellenbosch.

The flood has had a lasting effect on the Laingsburg population. Many lost their lives and many lost family and friends. Overcoming the tragedy may have been difficult, but Laingsburgers rallied and were closely unified by these events.

Some argue that materially the town is better off than before the flood, as new development has brought better infrastructure.

The memory of what happened lives on, as is evident from the reaction of residents whenever the Buffels River floods over.

The tragedy will remain deeply etched in the town’s, and South Africa’s, collective memory.