South Africa has officially classified the severe weather battering several provinces as a national disaster after receiving days of flooding, heavy rainfall, infrastructure damage and widespread disruption. The declaration applies to parts of the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Free State, North-West and Mpumalanga, where emergency teams have been responding continuously to road collapses, power outages and communities being cut off by floodwaters.
Classification by the government shifts the coordination of the disaster response to national government level, allowing authorities to intensify relief, recovery and infrastructure repair efforts across affected regions. Government says the move followed assessments showing the scale and severity of the weather system had overwhelmed local response capacity in several areas.
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The declaration also comes as officials warning that more severe weather could still hit parts of the country again this week. In the Garden Route alone, authorities say the region is experiencing some of its worst flooding in decades, with dozens of roads closed and some communities still inaccessible.
Considering this, Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis shared some quick incidents where the City of Cape Town team could be seen working and responding vigorously to the sudden conditions that are affecting their town.
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While sharing a video Mayor Lewis penned that the City of Cape Town teams are out working across the city during the ‘CapeStorm’. The teas are dealing with flooding, downed power lines and clearing fallen trees. They know that this terrible weatehr has been disruptive and they thank all for their patience as the City teams continue assisting the residents.
Mayor Hill-Lewis shared more pictures and stated that during the CapeStorm they are incredibly proud of the City of Cape Town teams and first responders who have gone above and beyond to assist families, show up in emergencies, fixing power lines, clearing flooding and downed trees.
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Further, they have asked residents to please avoid unnecessary travel, report dangerous situations and stay safe as the storm continues today.
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Reportedly, all Western Cape schools have been closed for Cape Town’s worst storm in decades. A new High Court warning has been issued, which says that the weather could affect how estates and gated communities recover arrear levies from homeowners.
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Recently, Carmen Stevens Foundation helped the Capetonians during the natural calamity. As the flash floods in Stellenbosch have left devastating damage at Carmen Stevens Wines and the Carmen Stevens Foundation, which is usually a place of hope, hard work and community support that has been deeply affected by the extreme weather conditions.
Despite the heartbreak, the spirit of resilience remains strong. Thanks to everyone reaching out with support, prayers and assistance during this difficult time. Together we rebuild, restore and continue making a difference for the communities that rely on us.
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Disaster Risk Management Spokesperson – Charlotte Powell stated that the flooding has been reported in at least 26 informal areas around the city. Assessments to date show that 10,703 structures have sustained weather-related impacts and have affected approximately 41,635 people.
They are working closely with the humanitarian relief partners who have already started assisting with meals and blankets in some of the affected areas. This relief will be extended as assessments are concluded. The findings of the assessments are being submitted to SASSA as the agency mandated to provide humanitarian assistance, as well as the National Human Settlements Department.
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In terms of infrastructure impacts, multiple roads have been flooded across the metropole, with some incidents that are impacting the surrounding properties. The Roads and Infrastructure Management Department is attending to these incidents and areas that have already been attended to include Phola Park, Fisantekraal, Bonteheuwel, Parow, Bellville and Hout Bay.
The teams are also continuing efforts to restore electricity outages in affected areas and clearing trees that have been uprooted or lost branches due to the strong winds.
Currently, the City of Cape Town is attending to multiple weather-related incidents across various areas, including flooding, fallen trees, electricity outages, water outages, damaged traffic lights, and roofs blown off due to strong winds and severe weather conditions.
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The emergency and technical teams are working around the clock to respond to and resolve these incidents as quickly and safely as possible. They kindly request residents to remain patient while teams attend to the high volume of reported cases.
Residents are urged to:
- Exercise caution on the roads
- Avoid flooded areas and damaged infrastructure
- Treat all fallen electrical infrastructure as live and dangerous
- Use the City’s App to log faults and service-related incidents
- Contact the City’s Emergency Number immediately for flooding incidents or any life-threatening emergencies
City thank all residents for their cooperation and understanding during this time. Please stay safe and continue to follow official City communication channels for updates.