Cape Town - While the much-needed rain was widely welcomed in water-scarce Cape Town, residents in the city’s informal settlements were the hardest hit as thousands of homes were flooded.
Flooding was reported in informal settlements in Khayelitsha, Macassar, Philippi, Gugulethu, Kraaifontein, Atlantis and Maitland.
Areas such as Parow, Goodwood, Ravensmead, Uitsig, Somerset West, Woodstock, Elsies River and Hanover Park, including the N1 City shopping mall, were also affected, according to the City.
The heavy rains and windy conditions also caused havoc for motorists, with some forced to abandon their vehicles as roads were flooded.
The Huguenot Tunnel was reopened only to light vehicles in the afternoon after being closed for hours due to a power failure. The Bainskloof Pass was also closed due to mudslides and a tree that fell onto the road.
The City’s Disaster Risk Management spokesperson, Charlotte Powell, said: “Various roads across the city have been affected by heavy downpours. No evacuation or emergency shelter has been required.
“The Roads and Stormwater Department is clearing roadways and unblocking drains. The Informal Settlements Department is making assessments and providing residents in informal settlements with flood kits.”
Pholile Park informal settlement in Strand resident Victor Mwezi said that for the past 12 years they get frustrated when winter comes, as fires and floods destroy their homes and valuables.
Picture: Phando Jikelo/African News Agency/ANA
“We don’t know how to prevent the water from coming into our homes, and our furniture and food are ruined. These floods happen every year. The municipality needs to make a plan because we are losing a lot of valuables,” Mwezi said.
Ward 86 councillor Jongidumo Maxheke said he awoke to a number of flooding reports in informal settlements such as Pholile Park, Masakhane and Simanyene.
Maxheke said the most- affected residents refused to be placed at a local hall, claiming their homes were broken into and valuables stolen in the past.
KTC in Gugulethu resident Mluleki Andres said they awoke to a pool of water.
“Me and my wife had to use brackets to take out the water while our three young children were in bed. The drains are blocked in our streets, which make the water level even higher. We have been staying here for more than 16 years; we need houses.”
Picture: Phando Jikelo/African News Agency/ANA
Mayco member for transport and urban development Brett Herron said the blockages were often due to debris as well as tree roots that find their way into the joints of the pipes, causing constriction inside the pipe.
“Flooding has occurred due to the water being prevented from entering the gully, which is the entry point into the stormwater system as a result of obstructions at the mouth of the catch-pit or gully.
“In some cases, we have found tree roots that find their way into the joints of the pipes that cause a constriction inside the pipe and can cause blockages. Areas that are normally hit the hardest are close to a flood plain or within the flood plain. This is often the case for some informal settlements.
“Other areas where we have excessive dumping into the stormwater infrastructure are also prone to flooding. We are currently assessing the data for today to be able to identify problem areas,” he said.
The intense cold front that hit the Mother City is predicted to clear up tomorrow. South African Weather Service spokesperson Hannelee Doubell said showers are expected to persist over the Western Cape today, while spreading into the Eastern Cape and southern Northern Cape.
Rainfall is expected to spread into southern and eastern KwaZulu-Natal on Monday evening, while clearing over the Western Cape, Doubell said.
Picture: Phando Jikelo/African News Agency/ANA
Localised flooding was expected in places in the Cape Metropole, Cape Winelands and western Overberg regions on Sunday, mainly from the afternoon into the evening, with 15 to 25mm of water expected in areas on average, and up to 40mm in places in the mountainous regions of the western parts of the Western Cape.
“Snow is possible over much of the high-lying areas of the Western Cape and southern and western high-lying areas of the Northern Cape from Sunday evening into Monday morning, spreading across the high-lying areas of the Eastern Cape and into southern KwaZulu-Natal by Monday afternoon.
“This snowfall could be disruptive as up to 6-10 cm is expected in places,” Doubell said.
Small-stock farmers were advised that the combination of cold, wet and windy weather may be fatal to stock, unless animals are taken to shelter well ahead of the onset of the hazardous weather.