City teams work around the clock to mitigate weather-related impacts

Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has been on the ground assessing the City’s response to localised flooding and severe weather impacts.

The mayor received a briefing before visiting the Keyser River and Heideveld, where teams were working to mitigate flooding and clear suburban flooding, respectively, following a series of cold fronts and with more rain expected.

Also read: Three men rescued from Parow Canal amid heavy torrents of water

‘We’ve seen several rivers burst their banks in Cape Town, including the Eerste River/Kuils River, affecting parts of Zandvlei and Macassar and the Mosselbank River, impacting Klipheuwel and Philadelphia, as well as mudslides in the Oudeskip area near Hangberg in Hout Bay,’ said Mayor Hill-Lewis.

‘Today I witnessed a major City effort to excavate the Keyser River near Tokai, where teams are removing silt and vegetation and diverting water within the catchment to help reduce the flow into the river. This should further alleviate the localised flooding that has affected businesses and the Melomed Hospital in the area.’

The mayor was encouraged to see officials making progress in restoring flooded streets in Heideveld, as they have in other communities throughout the City.

Mayor Hill-Lewis expressed his gratitude to all dedicated City officials who were tirelessly working in challenging conditions to address flooding, power outages and the clearance of debris and blocked sewer pipes. He commended their efforts, including the multi-agency rescue operations aimed at preventing injuries and loss of life.

One notable rescue occurred on Thursday when three individuals were rescued from a flooding canal in Parow.

The mayor urged residents to prioritise their safety by remaining indoors whenever possible and advised against attempting to cross flooded water in canals or rivers. In case of emergencies, he requested that the public report them by dialling 021 480 7700 from a cell phone or 107 from a landline.

Rainfall data collected at dams that supply the City since the beginning of June shows that rainfall is well above long-term averages for this time of year.

Dams that supply drinking water to Cape Town had increased dramatically by today, reaching 86.1%.

Due to heavy rains, one of the three sluice gates opened to the highest level in more than 30 years, allowing water from the Wemmershoek Dam to flow into the Wemmershoek River. Rising water levels in the dam as a result of rainfall in the catchment activate the system that controls the three sluice gates.

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For the sluice gates, the City has a standard operating procedure. This is linked to a disaster management plan, which includes coordination with Stellenbosch Municipality, Drakenstein Municipality, the Winelands District Municipality and the South African Police Services, all of whom were involved in this planned release to reduce threats to residents and property damage.

The City said that it is closely monitoring all of its dams.

Regarding power outages, at least 25 metro areas have experienced storm-related outages since the beginning of the week, with the City steadily restoring power to the majority of them. Following a major outage in the Helderberg on Wednesday, officials worked tirelessly to restore most of the area by Thursday morning.

Residents are encouraged to report outages through the City’s service channels so that technicians can intervene.

The City’s informal settlement management department is also continuing to assess all flood-affected areas. Teams are currently deployed in high-risk areas to assist relevant City departments in areas where water must be removed.

NGOs such as the Mother Soup Kitchen and Ashraful Aid International are also assisting with humanitarian relief for residents of affected informal settlements. Where possible, the City also provides milling and sandbags.