Cape Town felt the full force of Mother Nature’s wrath this week. First the devastating Helderberg fires, and then torrential rain and flooding. Between the two events, residents have been rocked, land and homes destroyed – the city is gobsmacked.
As of this morning, there’s snow, too.
Also read: Fires, floods and frost – snow at Matroosberg Reserve
When the rain started, those fighting against and affected by the Helderberg fire could breathe a sigh of relief. But the end of the blaze only signalled the start of the next beating: flooding. It’s been a tough week for Capetonians.
The pictures and footage speaks for itself:
Fire:
More than 120 fire and rescue teams were deployed to battle the blaze as winds howled. Two firefighters were hospitalised.
Homes were gutted by the fire. Families were evacuated.
Animals – both wild and domestic – have been affected. All horses on Lourensford Wine Farm were evacuated.
Helderberg fire. ?: supplied pic.twitter.com/9ROlzAqi9s
— ROBYN IN THE HOOD (@robynhoodcpt) June 11, 2022
Inspectors of the Cape of Good Hope SPCA combed through the area of Somerset West in search of wild animals which may have been injured or displaced due to the flames. The organisation is urging the public to contact them immediately if they come across any lost or injured animals: Call 021 700 4158/9.
Floods:
Bishop Lavis: residents paddle down a flooded road.
Bishop Lavis: road swimming.
KZN was Boring, Look Cape Town is Vibing the Floods ⚠️.. pic.twitter.com/lnltHIgcxo
— ???????? Model ???????? (@LthandoMayekiso) June 14, 2022
Khayelitsha: Road closure between Spine Road, the N2 and Faure road. A large portion of the roadway has collapsed.
Wynberg: wipers on full blast.
Somerset West: mall gone under.
Heavy rains have flooded the parking garage of a Somerset West shopping centre, Sanctuary Mall. Watch the videos that have been circulating on social media:https://t.co/02iOUXgizR
— Cape {town} Etc (@CapeTownEtc) June 14, 2022
Somerset West Sanctuary shopping centre wrecked:
As received. Sanctuary near Somerset Mall. pic.twitter.com/32mlwhz8aN
— Catherinne ? (@steynclan) June 14, 2022
Mop-up operations underway:
The City of Cape Town says it has all hands on deck to address weather-related impact. “The City has numerous departments attending to these weather-related issues, with efforts coordinated by the Disaster Risk Management Centre.”
“Every one of our teams is out on the road dealing with localised flooding issues. Some 110 teams are on the road and are working around the clock to clear the blockages. I call on the public to please report any incidents to our call centre or log the requests online so we can route these as quickly as possible to the response teams,” saya Cape Town Mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis.
During the last 24-hour measuring period, rainfall stations in the Cape Metropole recorded between 34mm and 123 mm of rain.
Apart from clearing blockages to allow pooled water to recede, City teams are also conducting assessments in communities where homes have been flooded.
“Damages have not been bad. We have a couple of roads and a roadway that have been damaged or collapsed. We have lots of potholes and so on. The main issue now is that we have thousands of residents across the city living with water in their homes and that is not pleasant for anyone,” the mayor said.
Reporting damage:
Residents are reminded that there are numerous fault or service reporting channels, including online.
Additional reporting channels are outlined below:
Electricity Department: Emergencies, accounts and general enquiries
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Telephone: 0860 103 089
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SMS your fault to: 31220 (free SMSes do not apply)
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Email: [email protected]
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Electricity – Eskom supply areas
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Telephone: 0860 037 566
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SMS your fault to: 35328 (free SMSes do not apply)
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Email: [email protected]
Water and Sanitation: Emergencies, accounts and general enquiries
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Telephone: 0860 103 089
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Email: [email protected]
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SMS your fault to:31373 (free SMSes do not apply)
In the event of a life-threatening emergency, contact the City’s Public Emergency Communication Centre by dialling 021 480 7700 from a cellphone or 107 from a landline.
Also read:
Helderberg Nature Reserve ‘alive with birds and animals’ after fire
Picture: Armand Hough / African News Agency(@ana_pix_1)
