Durban’s disaster-management team and city officials are busy calculating the cost of damage caused during a heavy downpour on Tuesday night that continued into the early hours of Wednesday.
Two oil refineries, hospitals, courts, homes, shacks, railway lines, buildings and roads were affected by the overnight storm.
”The damages were vast and the city infrastructure damage has not yet been calculated,” Mark Te Water, deputy head of the city’s disaster-management team, said on Thursday.
He said it was unclear whether the damage would run into millions of rands.
”City infrastructure damaged during the downpour included water lines, storm-water lines, electrical systems, mini-sub stations, and roads,” Te Water said.
He said officials had also visited the 2010 Moses Mabhida Soccer Stadium to check if it was affected by the storm.
”Luckily, there was no damage reported at the stadium,” he said.
The priority of the disaster-management team, said Te Water, was to provide immediate relief to those who had been displaced, provide short-term feeding, and the provision of blankets.
He, however, could not say how many families had been displaced as he did not have the figures with him.
Henry Manzi, the city’s emergency services head, said he believed the damage could possibly run into millions of rands.
The storm caused havoc in Durban affecting, among others, the areas of Merebank, Umlazi, Isipingo, Amanzimtoti, Chatsworth, Pinetown and Lamontville.
The Sapref refinery was completely shut down on Wednesday while 40% of the Engen refinery was non-operational.
Officials from Sapref said the company would be up and running within a few days.
Engen refinery spokesperson Herb Payne said: ”It was not a big loss in terms of cost but the primary damage was the replacement of electronic cards in the boiler unit which was damaged during the storm”.
He said the production level of the plant, which generally refined about 120 000 barrels per day, had now dropped.
”Only 60% of fuel is now being refined each day but we hope to be back to our full capacity by Saturday,” said Payne.
But diesel was almost non-existent, he said.
Durban’s St Augustine’s Hospital was also affected by the storm when it was struck by lightning.
”The north corner of surgical-ward five was struck by lightning,” said Netcare general manager Augusta Dorning.
”While no great damage was done, the nurses calling-system started to malfunction, a few minor leaks appeared and some electrical wiring got scorched,” she said.
Dorning said patients were immediately moved to another ward while technical experts inspected the damage and extinguished ”smouldering bits of wiring on the roof”.
One of the resident doctors at the hospital’s consulting rooms reported that a ceiling had collapsed.
”As a cautionary measure, the fire department were called to further investigate the situation … and to make absolutely sure there was no danger to any patients or staff in other wards.
The provincial health department reported that Umlazi’s Prince Mshiyeni Hospital was also affected by the heavy rains.
Department spokesperson Leon Mbangwa said the out-patients department, pharmacy and the surgical stores at the hospital were flooded. Patients, he said, were housed at a shelter while the flooded areas were being cleared.
Metrorail spokesperson Thandi Mkhize said that due to he storm some rail services were suspended.
”Several sections of the south-coast line were washed away or had mudslides,” she said.
Rail services in Isipingo, Crossmoor and Kelso had been suspended until repairs could be done.
Mkhize said buses would be operational in those areas for commuters over the next few days until services have been restored.
Cases pending at Umlazi magistrate’s, regional and equality courts were postponed on Wednesday after water seeped into courtrooms, affecting recording equipment.
Several Durban roads were also closed due to mudslides and deep pools.
At least 20 people were rescued off cars and buildings after they became trapped by rising water levels.
eThekwini Emergency Services head Henry Manzi said four houses in Umlazi had collapsed while several shacks had been washed away.
”Those homes and shacks situated near the river banks were worst affected but there were no serious injuries,” he said.
Manzi and the eThekwini Disaster Management were visiting areas affected by the flash-floods to assess the damage.
”Damage was quite extensive and at this stage it may run into the thousands or even millions, but we can’t really say for now,” he said. The Durban weather bureau said Merebank, in the Durban South basin, was one of the areas worst affected by the rains. Umlazi was second on the list.
An official at the bureau said 166.8mm of rain was recorded within two hours. – Sapa