LION’S RIVER BURSTS ITS BANKS AFTER HEAVY RAINS
Ten households in uMngeni Municipality were damaged following the heavy rains in the Midlands in recent days. The municipality’s disaster team reacted quickly, supplying those affected with plastic sheeting, mattresses and blankets.
In Lion’s River, residents were amazed to see flooded grassland after the river broke its banks. The Umgeni River is also running strongly and Midmar Dam is overflowing, which could put households downstream at risk.
Msunduzi Municipality has been urged to alert homeowners that may be vulnerable and to activate evacuation procedures where necessary.
The KwaZulu-Natal provincial disaster management centre held a meeting of its joint operations committee on Monday afternoon to assess the impact of the ongoing rainfall and municipalities’ ability to deal with it.
The meeting kicked off with the South African Weather Service (SAWS) giving a report on the weather forecast for the week. SAWS said the rainy weather is likely to subside today (Wednesday) and Thursday, but heavy rains are predicted to return at the weekend.
SAWS also warned that over the next three months the province is likely to receive more rain and disaster teams were urged to remain on high alert to prevent fatalities.
The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has confirmed it will provide food vouchers as soon as it is furnished with the lists of households in need; and both the South African Red Cross Society and the Al-Imdaad Foundation indicated that they will help if called upon to do so.
The Department of Economic Development Tourism and Environmental Affairs (Edtea), meanwhile, is ready to assist businesses and tourism establishments affected by the weather.