Durban - The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in KZN is taking stock of the two days of heavy rain and gale force winds that have caused weather-related incidents across the province.
Over the weekend KZN experienced inclement weather conditions moving in from the west as predicted by the South African Weather Service. Buildings and vehicles were damaged, mainly as a result of falling trees and the fierce winds damaging structures, while road damage is still being assessed.
“Our disaster teams have logged and responded to several incidents in Ugu, eThekwini and Ladysmith, which impacted on both public infrastructure and private property and disrupted lives in most parts of the province,” said KZN MEC for Cogta Nomusa Dube-Ncube in a statement.
“The interim assessments reveal that houses had roofs blown away, trees falling over and blocking roads and damaging property and vehicles,” she continued.
The department confirmed that at least three people were critically injured and were admitted to hospital. No deaths had been reported at this stage.
“All reported incidents are being attended to promptly by our disaster management teams. We are still assessing the long-term impact of damages to roads, public infrastructure and facilities as well as private properties, and we continue to offer assistance to all concerned,” said Dube-Ncube.
“We would like to thank all our disaster management teams for their dedication which has mitigated the impact of many disasters for the communities that have no one else to turn to when disasters strike,” said Dube-Ncube.