Heavy rain leaves parts of Durban without power
Heavy rain, mudslides and widespread power outages have hit parts of eThekwini, with technical teams deployed to restore electricity.
TECHNICAL teams have been deployed to various parts of eThekwini as the city continues to grapple with severe weather that has left some areas without power.
A level six weather warning had been issued for eThekwini for Thursday and Friday by the South African Weather Service, warning residents of heavy rainfall that could result in flooding and damage to municipal infrastructure.
Heavy rain continued throughout Thursday and into Friday (September 18), with Municipal spokesperson Senzelwe Mzila saying the persistent downpour had caused rivers to swell and mudslides in parts of the city, putting homes at risk.
He said the City had also been inundated with a high volume of power outages as a result of severe weather conditions. “The Directorate’s Contact Centre is receiving a high number of calls from customers reporting electricity faults.
Also Read: Level 6 warning: City prepares for widespread heavy rain
“The extensive number of faults has resulted in prolonged outages in certain areas as municipal teams work systematically through the backlog.”
He confirmed that emergency teams had been deployed to restore power to affected areas.
“Additional technical teams have been deployed to affected areas to assist with repairs and expedite the restoration of power supply.
“Residents are urged to exercise patience while repair and restoration work is carried out as safely as possible under the prevailing weather conditions,” added Mzila.
As the bad weather continues, members of the public are urged to remain cautious as saturated ground conditions heighten the risk of further mudslides and localised flooding. Motorists are advised to keep headlights on, reduce speed, and strictly avoid driving across flooded roads or low-lying bridges.
Emergency situations and storm-related infrastructure damage can be reported to the Municipality’s Central Disaster Call Centre on 031 361 0000.
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