After a tragic Monday which saw the death of a fireman and others rescued from floods, the water level at the Hennops River in Centurion had subsided, the Tshwane community safety department said on Tuesday.
“We had a quiet night … The situation is under control but the skies are overcast which could mean more rain,” said spokesperson William Baloyi.
Baloyi said bridges over the Hennops were not flooded, but should be crossed with caution.
On Monday, a 42-year-old fireman, Henry Knox, and his colleague were in their canoe on a search-and-rescue operation in Centurion when they hit a violent rapid. The canoe capsized and Knox drowned.
A man who had been swept away in his car and had managed to clamber on to the roof, told rescuers he saw at least seven people floating down the river past him.
“We can’t confirm that these people are missing because no relatives have come forward about it … but the police are continuing their search for possible missing people,” Baloyi said.
He appealed to residents to immediately report any missing people to emergency service personnel.
Hotel evacuated
On Monday, guests and staff at the Centurion Lake Hotel had to be evacuated as water rose to knee height in the parking lot.
The hotel was cordoned off with red tape while water was pumped out of the basement. Guests were moved to the nearby Protea Hotel in Centurion and hotels in Sandton, Johannesburg.
General manager Robert Hodson, who had arrived at the hotel at 3.20am, stood outside watching as staff and rescuers tried to clear water out of the flooded reception area.
Hodson expected the hotel to be up and running again by Thursday.
Emergency services staff carried out house-to-house headcounts at the smallholdings dotted along the Hennops River, which passes through the area.
“Our concentration is on the smallholdings, moving from house to house and checking,” said Baloyi.
‘Extraordinary times’
The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs has recommended that 28 municipalities, including Johannesburg and Tshwane, be declared disaster areas. Heavy flooding over the past month has claimed 40 lives, displaced thousands and caused millions of rands in damages.
“According to reports received from the provinces, a total of 40 people have lost their lives as a result of flooding and incidents of lightning, thunderstorms and tornadoes between mid-December to date,” said Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Sicelo Shiceka.
“The latest information gathered by the National Disaster Management Centre is that more than 6 000 people nationally have been displaced by the floods.
“In terms of infrastructural damages, reports received so far from the Northern Cape, North West and KwaZulu-Natal provinces indicate an estimated damage to the tune of R50-million, R6-million and R300-million respectively.” – Sapa