Cape Town - As torrential rains and heavy winds continue to batter the metro, a level 8 warning has been issued that it will likely get worse tomorrow.
Several roads have already flooded while hundreds of homes remain waterlogged, with the N2 outbound after Robert Sobukwe, the M3 inbound after Woolsack Drive, and the N1 incoming before Koeberg Road particularly affected, the City said.
The SA Weather Services said the storm has been upgraded from level 6 today to a level 8 tomorrow.
“Disruptive rain leading to flooding and possible mudslides is expected over the City of Cape Town, Drakenstein and Stellenbosch municipalities on Thursday,” it said.
The City’s Disaster Operations Centre said it received calls related to flooding affecting parts of Khayelitsha, Joe Slovo Park in Milnerton, Sir Lowry’s Pass Village, Nomzamo in Strand, Mfuleni, Driftsands, Masiphumelele, Dunoon and Gugulethu.
Following a site visit to Dunoon, Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said the City’s Roads Infrastructure and Stormwater teams were dealing with serious localised flooding across the City.
“We have more than 70 neighbourhoods across the City that are currently reporting badly flooded roads and waterlogged houses, with more than 7 000 structures affected mainly in informal settlements.”
Hill-Lewis said the Liesbeek, Lotus and Eerste Rivers had burst their banks.
With more rain expected this week, more canals and rivers are expected to suffer a similar fate, he said.
As learners were expected to return to school yesterday, the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) said 82 schools reported damages as a result of the weather.
While the department received criticism for its decision to reopen amid the weather warnings, WCED spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said the alert levels issued and advice given did not warrant a full closure.
Hammond said of 1 550 schools, only primary five schools required closure.
“The schools were closed as a result of either flooding, inaccessibility to access routes and damage to the school building,” Hammond said.
Pinelands North Primary School Grade 6 teacher Stanley Chilambe said schools should only open if they can operate safely under the current conditions. Given the country’s challenges and inequalities, not all schools were able to do this, he said.
“It is crucial that we critically address making schools safe for all children, not just some. Floods of this nature occur every year, yet the WCED is consistently caught unprepared, and it’s often the same schools in the same areas that are affected,” Chilambe said.
Disaster relief organisation Gift of the Givers (GOTG) has been on the ground, assisting displaced and other affected communities since Friday.
GoTG project manager Ali Sablay said 22 350 people are believed to be displaced and in need of assistance.
From Drommedaris, Paarl, Sablay said: “It's totally heartbreaking at the sight here of old people and children’s homes completely washed out. These people are looking for a temporary shelter. It's thousands of people.”
In Rocklands, Mitchells Plain, residents yesterday lifted and cleared drains themselves for the water to regress.
Rocklands resident, Pastor Kyle Appollis said: “When I looked out the window, I saw that it was flooded. Everywhere I looked, it was flooded. When I stepped out of my house, our whole yard was flooded.”
No one could come in or out, he said.
“We were stuck. I couldn't use my car to pull out or anything and apparently the drains were lifted also.”
The City has called for donations in the form of non-perishable foodstuff, personal hygiene items, nappies, baby formula, blankets and construction materials like wood and corrugated sheeting.
Donations can be dropped off at the Fire Stations in Sir Lowry’s Pass, Strand, Goodwood, Ottery, Roeland Street and Lakeside.
shakirah.thebus@inl.co.za