Africa-Press – South-Africa. Emergency and disaster risk management services in the Western Cape will remain on high alert on Tuesday as severe weather conditions continue to lash the province.
In De Doorns, more than 50 informal homes were washed away during flooding. Houses and businesses in the area were also damaged, and a wastewater treatment works was flooded, according to the head of the Western Cape’s disaster management service, Colin Deiner.
The Gift of the Givers Foundation sent teams to De Doorns to provide urgent humanitarian assistance. It is estimated that hundreds of homes and local farms have been severely affected.
Mopping-up operations are under way, Deiner said.
The severe weather conditions resulted in several temporary road closures, including the N2 in George and Meiringspoort as well as Chapman’s Peak Drive.
Clarence Drive (R44) – the coastal road between Cape Town and the Overstrand – was closed after a rockfall and mudslides caused by heavy rains.
Deiner said a South African Weather Service (SAWS) warning would be in place until 22:00 on Tuesday.
He added:
He said assessments were under way to establish the extent of the damage, but added that the West Coast, Cape Winelands and Breederiver Valley were affected the most.
Monday brought flooding to Gordon’s Bay, Somerset West, Strand and Dunoon, which resulted in road closures and some damage to property. Flooding was also reported in Stellenbosch, Ashton, Laingsburg and Villiersdorp.
The West Coast saw heavy rainfall that resulted in flooding in a number of towns. Strong winds also uprooted trees.
Ceres was left without power after a lightning strike at a substation on Monday morning. One of the two damaged transformers has since been restored, with power expected to be restored on Tuesday.
In addition, a dam wall on a farm in the Witzenberg municipality collapsed, and the flooding affected the R46 road.
The Western Cape was not the only province lashed by heavy rains on Monday.
In KwaZulu-Natal, more than 30 homes were affected by a mudslide in La Mercy, Durban. Ten homes in the Umngeni Local Municipality were partially damaged, while four homes in the Oshabeni area in the Ugu District were affected. Another 10 homes were damaged in the Ndwedwe municipality.
The Midmar and Henley Dams are reported to be overflowing.
Parts of Gauteng also experienced heavy rainfall and flooding.
The SAWS has warned that severe thunderstorms and possible heavy downpours are forecast for parts of Gauteng, the Free State, Mpumalanga, the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape on Tuesday.
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