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Three people died in road accidents on Thursday resulting from heavy rains and poor visibility across the province, and the homes of thousands of city residents were flooded in the first heavy downpour of winter.
And there is more to come. The SA Weather Service has issued a warning for very cold, wet and windy conditions, with a 60 percent chance of showers, until Saturday morning.
Wind speed will remain at 30km/h with a minimum temperature of 11°C until a drop to 10°C on Sunday. Heavy rainfalls are expected to drench the Cape Metropole, Cape Winelands and Overberg districts today.
The weather service has warned of a gale-force north-westerly wind reaching 40 to 45 knots at times, and of rough seas with swells of up to 6m off Cape Point. Clear skies will arrive by Sunday.
On Thursday two men were declared dead on the scene after two heavy-duty trucks collided on the R45, near Voelvlei dam outside Wellington, said EMS spokeswoman Keri Davids.
The accident happened at about 2pm and brought traffic to a standstill while both men had to be freed from their vehicles using the Jaws of Life.
On Du Toit’s Kloof Pass, outside the Huguenot Tunnel, two more heavy-duty trucks were involved in a head-on collision. One driver was declared dead on the scene and the other was taken to hospital in a serious condition.
Cape Town’s Disaster Risk Management Centre reported flooding across informal settlements on the Cape Flats on Thursday.
Charlotte Powell, spokeswoman for the centre, said it had received reports of flooding from Philippi, Strandfontein, Khayelitsha and Delft.
“We don’t have exact numbers of how many homes have been affected, (but) we can expect numerous dwellings to be affected by the floods,” she said.
“We also received reports that the Vygieskraal River’s banks had burst. However, when we did our investigation we found that the river was just full.”
On the other side of town, the River Club in Observatory was forced to close when its parking area was flooded as the adjacent Liesbeek River’s levels rose.
People were turned away at the club’s gates and those who insisted on going in were warned by the security guard that they were doing so at their own risk.
The club’s manager confirmed that the club was closed because of a flooded parking area but refused to comment.
Powell said Voorspoed High School in Hanover Park had also been affected by the storms on Thursday.
“We have means in place to deal with the floods. People are still coping. It’s not yet necessary for us to activate our emergency shelters or evacuate people from informal settlements,” said Powell.
However, a Cape Argus team witnessed some residents in Brown’s Farm, Philippi, living in pools of water after the rain, and clearly in need of temporary relocation and dry clothing and provisions.
Vumeka Mguye, of Block 6, had to wear gumboots to walk around her house.
“I woke up at 7am and there was already water inside my house. I had to get my daughter ready for school in that dam.
“I’ve asked one of the few neighbours whose houses aren’t flooded to babysit (my children) because they can’t stay here. We don’t even know where we’ll sleep, my place is filled with water,” said Mguye.
Mguye said gumboots and clearing water out of her home were the order of every day during winter.
“We’ve been living in this water since 2004. The water comes in through the front door and the back of the house. Our cupboards are wet, are clothes are soaked. I’m always in and out of the clinic during this time because of my flooded home,” said Mguye.
Nosakhele Mqhakayi, 35, of Section 2 in Philippi, said winter made it difficult for her to raise her children.
“It’s not good to have small children in a flooded house. Five of them sleep with me in one room. Water leaks into that room from the floor, through the roof and the walls. We constantly have to scoop water from the floor with a bucket,” said Mqhakayi.
By 1pm Mqhakayi and her children had already scooped 78 litres of water from their bedroom floor.
“I’ve had to, somehow, cover the walls up with whatever material I can find. I have a disabled child who has to sleep in that room with me,” said Mqhakayi.
The Disaster Risk Management Centre said it was on high alert and well prepared should disaster strike.
“We’ve got plans in place and we’ve put our NGOs on high alert. We’ve made sure we’ve got enough food, blankets, clothing, etc, to provide relief,” said Powell.
She urged residents to report emergencies to the city’s 107 line.
“This line should be used if one’s life or property is endangered – dial 107 from a landline or 021 480 7700 from a cellphone. Flooding, blocked drains and service disruptions can be reported to the city’s Customer Contact Centre at 0860 103 089,” said Powell.
Ways to weather the storm
The City’s Disaster Risk Management Centre has urged Capetonians to exercise caution during bad weather by following these guidelines:
* Use sandbags to protect critical areas.
* Keep a careful eye on open flames and extinguish fires before going to bed.
* Private home owners living close to the beach need to be prepared for possible storm surge impacts to their property.
* Motorists should slow down and maintain safe following distances on roadways.
* Avoid areas such as the Sea Point Promenade, Kalk Bay, Atlantic Seaboard, False Bay coastline and Strand/Gordon’s Bay beachfront due to possible storm surges
Enquiries and/or complaints regarding burst and leaking water mains, faulty and leaking water meters or blocked and overflowing sewers can be reported by SMS to 31373.
Enquiries and/or complaints regarding electricity faults can be reported by SMS to 31220.
The City’s Transport Information Centre can be contacted at 0800 65 64 63 for information on delays on roadways and deviations.
Cape Argus
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