CAPE TOWN - George municipality Community Services have been hard at work cleaning up streets and beaches full of debris following flash floods in the region.
This, as the South African Weather Service has released a Level 4 Yellow Warning for Damaging Winds for George and other areas from Friday. Gale force winds gusting up to 80-100km/h are predicted.
At Herolds Bay beach 220 black bags of debris have been collected, at Victoria Bay beach 79 black bags and at Ballots Bay, 137 bags collected, with further clean ups expected today.
“Community Workers will begin assisting the municipality with the clearing of debris from the Meul, Kat and Molen Rivers today,” the municipality said.
In total George received 148.5 mm of rain between Monday and Wednesday.
“The George Fire and Emergency Services is aware of 26 formal houses that flooded, and to date over 800 families of informal structures have been identified as being affected by flooding and requiring assistance. Emergency Services responded to one motor vehicle accident on Monday.”
A family of seven was sheltered in a Thembalethu community hall on Monday evening and has since returned to their structure.
“The Social Services department has spent most of yesterday collating a list of families and structures worst hit by the floods and which are located in informal settlements. This list will be used for the various humanitarian relief operations currently underway in George.”
Saasveld Road from Madiba Drive (Pine Lodge) to NMU is still closed with extensive damage and repair work to be undertaken by the Garden Route District Municipality. In George itself, the Pienaar Street Bridge remains closed and the railway line opposite Correctional Services, Union street has been damaged.
Severe infrastructure damage has also resulted in several burst pipes, affecting the water supply to a large section of the city.
“The municipality is managing this crisis and continues to circulate water trucks to strategic areas throughout mostly the eastern side of the city. The water situation remains critical, with reservoir levels supplying the eastern and CBD areas, very low. The civil engineering road teams will also continue clearing sand and flood debris as they are able to throughout the city.”
Electrotechnical teams have attended to over 30 high voltage repairs and countless low voltage matters over the past days.
Any donations of food, blankets, clothing, mattresses, bedding and toiletries can be delivered to the Garden Route Food Pantry, located at 1 Glaze street, next door to the Takelot depot.
Contact Carl on 0828260731 or Tillie on 0721881207 if you anything to offer.
Cape Times