Cold fronts cause flooding, rockfalls and power cuts across Cape Town
|Published
Major winter storm leads to flooding and power outages across Cape Town. Picture: Ayanda Ndamane/African News Agency(ANA)
Cape Town - The cold fronts that have hit Cape Town have brought disruptive rain, strong winds, and high waves, with some areas experiencing power cuts as the storm made landfall early on Thursday.
On the Cape Flats, residents in Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, Macassar Village and Philippi East experienced flooding because of blocked drains.
Khayelitsha Prodigal Son Foundation president Vuyani Mpetshe said people were helpless in the Town Two area with no assistance from the City or the Disaster Risk Management Centre (DRMC).
“There was water inside the houses and people were in the streets worrying about their belongings and where they were going to sleep for the night,” said Mpetshe.
Mudslides and rockfalls fell on Victoria Road between Hout Bay and Camps Bay and there were a number of motor vehicle accidents in Maitland, Muizenberg and along Nelson Mandela Boulevard.
There were also reports of flooding in Rosebank, Blaauwberg Road and at N1 Inbound after Wingfield.
DRMC spokesperson Charlotte Powell said flooding was reported in the Gugulethu, Macassar Village and Philippi East areas.
“The DRMC will conduct assessments and activate Sassa to provide soft relief if required. So far weather-related power outages have been reported in Joe Slovo in Milnerton and Noordhoek.
“Various roads across the city were flooded due to blocked drains and were attended to by the Roads and Stormwater Department,” said Powell.
Powell said the new informal settlements, built on unsuitable, flood-prone land through organised unlawful occupations since the national Covid-19 lockdown, also experienced major flooding.
On Friday, Powell provided an update that mop up operations are continuing across the city, and that DRM officials have completed assessments in Khayelitsha, Crossroads, Nyanga, Phillipi East, Delft, Langa, Macassar Village, Mfuleni and Strand.
“The Informal Settlements Department is continuing with assessments in these communities and Transport is providing milling.
“Disaster Management is appealing to residents who are living in a natural watercourse to move to higher ground. Please make sure that your floor level is higher than the ground level,” Powell said.
“Weather-related power outages have been experienced in Kensington, Somerset West, Newlands, Ravensmead and Masiphumelele. The Electricity Department is attending to the outages.”
Various roads across the city have been waterlogged due to blocked drains. Powell added that these are being attended by the Roads and Stormwater Department.
