Almost 300 people had to be evacuated from Riverville in Riversdale in the Southern Cape on Wednesday after persistent rain in the area, police said.
Captain Malcolm Pojip said 285 people had to be evacuated from their homes, while five families have also been evacuated from an informal settlement near Klein Brak River.
The Riversdale evacuees were being sheltered at halls and two schools in the town, while the Klein Brak families were moved to a hall on higher ground in the Powertown informal settlement.
According to the weather service in George, the Riversdale area received 28mm of rain in the past 24 hours. The ground is so saturated from recent rains that it caused flooding in low-lying areas.
Pojip said gravel roads in the rural areas around Riversdale were also flooded and several farmers were cut off from the town.
Joint Operation Centres have been set up by the Eden District Municipality, which incorporates most of the southern Cape municipalities.
The Helderberg area — from Glentana near George to Heidelberg — and the Hessequa area — from the Gouritz River mouth to Heidelberg — have been the worst affected by the rain and flooding.
Two helicopters and police divers were on standby in case of an emergency, Pojip said.
The weather service said there was an 80% possibility of rain and heavy rain over the southern Cape on Thursday. The expected minimum temperature is 10 degrees Celsius and the maximum 17.
The weather service issued a special warning on its website that persistent widespread rain is expected along the south coast and adjacent interior, which will lead to localised flooding. — Sapa