Rainfall has eased in the sodden southern Cape but more is expected, said the South African Weather Service on Thursday.
In the 24 hours to 8am on Thursday, the weather service recorded 11,6mm in Riversdale, compared to 28mm the day before, 4mm in George (71,5mm on Wednesday) and 18mm in Heidelberg (25mm on Wednesday).
The weather service said there was an 80% chance of rain in the region on Thursday. The area is still saturated after recent heavy flooding.
The weather service warned on Thursday of ”persistent widespread rain” along the Southern Cape coast and adjacent interior which could lead to localised flooding.
Disaster manager for the Eden District Municipality, Gerhard Otto, said it was still raining on Thursday but the levels of rivers had dropped by about two metres.
”We’ve still got people being evacuated.”
Otto said about 160 people who had been evacuated had needed to be housed and fed on Wednesday night. Others who had been evacuated had been able to return to their homes.
He said the area most affected by the flooding was between Riversdale and Heidelberg. About five households had been evacuated for a few hours at high tide at Powertown in Klein Brak River.
A municipal joint operations centre was set up in George to co-ordinate the flood measures.
Police spokesperson Captain Malcolm Pojie said on Wednesday that about 285 people were evacuated from Riverville and Zeekoegat in Riversdale, Slangrivier and a tourist resort in Heidelberg. They had spent the night in schools and police stations.
”At this stage we are very fortunate that the levels of water in the rivers that pass through the towns are declining all the time.”
The weather service also warned of bad weather expected on Thursday in other parts of the country.
Heavy rain is expected over the southern parts of the North West, southern Gauteng, Free State, south-eastern parts of the Northern Cape and northern parts of the Eastern Cape.
”Severe thunderstorms with strong surface winds and large hail are possible in the afternoon over the southern parts of the North West, northern Free State and southern Mpumalanga highveld.
”Snowfalls are likely at night on the northern mountains of the Eastern Cape, Lesotho mountains and the southern Drakensberg,” said the weather service.
Meanwhile rescue personnel were anxiously monitoring two large farm dams in the Swellendam area. The pressure of large volumes of water against cracked, straining walls could see the main road from Swellendam to Robertson cut-off.
”This will hamper rescue operations considerably. The cracks are showing [in the dam walls], water is overflowing,” said Reinard Geldenhuys, disaster manager in the Overberg region.
Geldenhuys said rescue teams were combing the area, evacuating people from their homes.
”The lower parts of Swellendam are under water. A mudslide also hit a house and we’re trying to find out if there are people inside,” said Geldenhuys.
On Wednesday about 100 people from 50 households were rescued as heavy rains and flash floods muddied the area.
Geldenhuys said some places were ”impassable” because of swirling, waist-deep water. Several roads remained closed. No injuries or fatalities have been reported thus far.
He said the heavy rains were causing the Buffelsjag and Koringsland rivers to rise.
Rescue personnel from Cape Town were assisting their Overberg colleagues and a South African National Defence Force helicopter was on standby. – Sapa