The City of Cape Town’s major storms and flooding plan has been stepped up, authorities said on Saturday after a massive cold front brought heavy rain to Cape Town and surrounding areas on Thursday night, followed by a second, weaker cold front on Saturday.
City manager Achmat Ebrahim said the disaster coordinating team would begin clearing blockages in stormwater and sewage systems.
The city’s health department has urged residents living in affected areas to avoid contact with standing or flood water.
Cape Town disaster-management spokesperson Johan Minnie said unofficial reports indicated that more than 30 000 people living in about 8 000 shacks across the Cape Town metropolitan area may have been affected in different ways.
Weather forecasters predicted that rain would subside by Sunday night, followed by a clear three days, with more rain expected from Wednesday.
Eight community halls had been opened for people forced out of their homes by flood waters, Minnie said earlier in the weekend. ”The facilities are open to people who decide to use them, although many people have decided to stay in their homes,” he said.
Relief was being provided by the city disaster management, social services and five NGOs including the Salvation Army, Red Cross and Mustadafin Foundation. These organisations were providing people with blankets, meals and food parcels.
Minnie said teams from various city departments and services had been busy throughout Friday dealing with local flooding in several areas.
The Pholo Park settlement near Philippi had posed the ”major problem”, but all residents had now been evacuated. About 8 000 properties had been affected by the floods. One school, Klipfontein Mission School in Philippi, was shut on Friday. Many roads in the city were also closed.
Minnie attributed the flooding there to blockages caused by litter and rubbish dumped in the stormwater drains.
The most recent incident was at Vygieskraal canal in Athlone. Minnie said the canal had burst its banks at 3am on Sunday, causing damage to houses nearby.
Other areas of the city affected include Athlone, Mowbray, Claremont, Guguletu and Khayelitsha.
No injuries or deaths have been reported as a result of the flooding, which caused great disruption to road and rail links in and out of Cape Town. — Sapa