Severe storm wreaks havoc in Cape Town: Roads flooded and roofs blown off
A tree fell on Edison Drive in Bergvliet following devastating storms in the Western Cape.
Image: Supplied
As the storm made landfall across Cape Town, the City’s Disaster Risk Management said it is monitoring areas closely for impacts.
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued a Level 8 warning for disruptive rainfall over the city, as well as the mountainous regions of Drakenstein, Stellenbosch, Breede Valley, Witzenberg, and the western parts of Theewaterskloof.
These conditions are expected to persist until at least Tuesday, SAWS warned, with heavy rain potentially leading to flooding of roads, bridges, as well as formal and informal settlements. It said mudslides and fast-flowing rivers could also pose a danger to life.
The City of Cape Town’s Disaster Risk Management spokesperson, Charlotte Powell, said by Sunday evening, May 10, it had been reported that roofs had blown off in Mitchells Plain and Hanover Park, localised flooding in several informal settlements, flooded roadways and blocked drains, electricity outages, and fallen trees.
The Traffic Services have alerted residents of which roadways are obstructed at the moment.
Image: CoCT
“Reports are starting to come in this morning of similar impacts in areas around the metropole, but no major impacts have been recorded thus far. We expect that the rate of reporting will increase as daylight sets in. Assessments will continue in the affected informal settlements that have been reported to date,” Powell said.
On Monday, numerous reports of roadways impacted due to flooding or because of fallen trees have been reported.
“We remind the public to please take extreme caution if they need to be out and about and to report any emergency incidents to our Public Emergency Communication Centre at 021 480 7700,” Powell said.
Reports of a tree obstructing Edison Drive in Bergvliet, a power line down in Wynberg, and flooding along Rosmead Avenue were escalated.