A motorist abandoned his vehicle at a flooded road in Umdloti, Durban. Picture: Rescue Unit SA (RUSA)
Disaster management officials worked through the night evacuating families from high-risk areas as heavy storms hit parts of KwaZulu-Natal for the second time in as many months.
Most rainfall was experienced over the north and central areas of eThekwini, with Bluff and Umdloti experiencing higher levels of rainfall.
eThekwini Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda visited the beach town in Umdloti on Sunday to assess the extent of the damage in the north coast community.
“Homes, roads and other infrastructure have borne the brunt of this weekend’s heavy rains, particularly in Umdloti,” said Kaunda in a statement.
“We had to prioritise Umdloti given the severity of the damage in this area,” he added.
The area’s water treatment plant is damaged and is expected to affect the water supply to residents.
“I call upon residents to be patient as we work speedily to restore key services,” said Kaunda.
Areas such as Mosely Park, Gillits and KwaNdengezi are also affected by water outages.
“We are still assessing whether these heavy rains had an impact on the work we had already started in Tongaat,” said Kaunda.
At least 190 people have been displaced from Tehuis in Umlazi. They’ve since been relocated to a temporary shelter set up at SJ Smith Hall. Mattresses and blankets have been provided as a temporary relief.
A family in Ward 40 had to be evacuated to a temporary mass care centre in KwaNozaza after their house collapsed.
Officials also evacuated occupants of two retirement homes in Tongaat and Westbrook. But the elderly residents have since returned after it was deemed safe.
There are currently 82 care centres accommodating displaced people across the city.
“Our health teams continue to provide health services to care centres, including the newly established centre at SJ Smith.”
Food, non-perishable items, clothing, blankets and mattresses are available to assist those in need.
Various roads have been damaged and affected by mudslides. Teams arrived on site on Sunday to remove rubble, trees and mudslides.
“The amount of rain was extensive and as such the drainage systems were severely affected. Despite this, some roads have re-opened for traffic,” said Kaunda.
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Several outages were experienced throughout the city caused by the heavy rains, however, officials have been quick to respond this time around.
“Electricity infrastructure is still vulnerable since the April floods and any amount of rain can cause further damage to it,” cautioned Kaunda.
“Electricity teams are prioritising fault repairs across the city, especially those faults that affect large areas.”
KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala is expected to visit areas including the Bluff, Umdloti and Westbrook on Monday morning to assess the extent of the damage caused by the latest floods.
While the intensity of storms in most areas of eThekwini has now subsided, officials remain on high alert as clean up operations get underway.
Various municipal teams are working round the clock to assist communities and restore key services.
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