More than 70 houses were destroyed and a further 110 houses partially damaged in eThekwini following heavy rain, strong winds and a landspout on Tuesday afternoon.

This has affected a total of 552 people, leaving 151 individuals homeless.

According to the KZN Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), four people have been confirmed to have lost their lives.

Three casualties were reported in the eThekwini Metro, while one person remains missing.

Additionally, one fatality and four injuries were reported in the Ugu District Municipality.

Cogta has assessed the damages caused by heavy rains and strong winds that devastated parts of the province and compiled a preliminary report.

Swift response

The Provincial Disaster Management Center swiftly responded, dispatching disaster teams to assess the extent of the destruction caused by the severe weather conditions in Durban Metro and Ugu District Municipality in the South Coast.

The areas severely affected by the heavy rains and strong winds include Phoenix, Inanda, Ntuzuma, KwaMashu, Pinetown and surrounding areas, Folweni, and the north of Durban. In the Ugu District, the hardest-hit areas are Umzumbe, Umdoni, and Umuziwabantu.

Cogta said preliminary reports indicate extensive damage to road infrastructure, electricity, sewerage systems, and housing. Many houses suffered roof damage, collapsed walls, and flooding.

“In the Ugu District Municipality, one house was left completely destroyed while three others suffered partial damages affecting 29 people. One person was left homeless,” said Cogta head of communications Nonala Ndlovu.

Schools have also been significantly impacted by the adverse weather conditions. “The Pinetown District has reported damages to 10 schools, and further assessments are underway in the affected districts to determine the full extent of the damage,” she said.

The agricultural sector has also suffered losses, with four gardens in Inanda wards 51, 54, and 55 affected. Additionally, approximately 700 chicken broilers in Inanda were adversely affected.

“The environmental impact of the heavy rains has resulted in pollution at Blue Lagoon Beach in Durban, caused by debris from the Umgeni River. The department, in partnership with eThekwini, is facilitating the cleaning of the beach, which may temporarily lead to its closure. No reports have been received thus far regarding the affected business sector.”

Relief

In response to the destruction, Cogta, through the Provincial Disaster Management Centre, has provided immediate relief materials to the affected victims.

This includes over 300 food parcels, 2 750 blankets, 5 500 plastic sheetings, and 550 emergency boxes as part of the winter contingency planning across all districts and the metro.

The Provincial Disaster Management Centre maintains additional immediate relief materials to offer further support.

Community-based structures, such as ward committees, community development workers, traditional leaders and war rooms, have been activated and play a crucial role in disseminating weather forecast awareness messages through loud hailing to mitigate severe impacts.

Mop-up campaigns are being co-ordinated with municipalities to clean the affected areas promptly.

To aid in the recovery efforts and restore normalcy, state institutions such as Eskom have been mobilised to assist in repairs to the affected areas.

Social security

Cogta said the South African Social Security Agency and the Department of Social Development have also been activated to work with municipal disaster management teams, expediting profiling and immediate relief efforts for the affected families.

Social workers are on standby, ready to provide psychosocial support , social and child protection services.

Provincial and municipal emergency services, including the Road Traffic Inspectorate, emergency medical services, SAPS, metro police, and search and rescue teams, have been activated and are prepared to respond swiftly to any emergencies.

Other provincial line function departments, such as Human Settlements, Education, Health, Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, and Transport, have also been activated and advised to implement their respective contingency plans to ensure immediate repair of damaged public infrastructure, said Cogta.