Southern coast starts mopping up
COMMUNITIES on the southern coast have begun to slowly clean up their homes and properties that were badly damaged in the first winter storm of the season, which made landfall last week, causing havoc in several towns and displacing hundreds of residents.
Four people died and several others were timeously rescued in areas on the southern coast when some communities and roads in Struisbaai, Riviersonderend, Stormsvlei and the Cape Agulhas were hard hit by severe flooding caused by the winter storm.
According to the Department of Environmental Affairs and Developmental Planning, the winter storm had subsided and rainfall had stopped across the Overberg, prompting authorities to divert their attention to prioritise disaster management and relief in affected regions.
Environmental Affairs and Developmental Planning MEC Anton Bredell said that relief organisations and charitable businesses had been working hard to assist families who had been evacuated from their homes.
Bredell said: “Big businesses such as Shoprite have been donating essential items for families in need, alongside Gift of the Givers, which provided more than 300 blankets to the Overberg region.
“Ongoing support to affected communities has been taken over by the provincial Department of Social Development and Sassa (SA Social Security Agency) and will continue until the situation is under control.
“Besides emergency responders like the NSRI, the Police Diving Unit, and the SA Air Force, we want to thank Shoprite Checkers, Gift of the Givers, and the Islamic Foundation for their support over the past week.
“Cleaning-up operations have begun, while formal damage assessments will begin this week. Western Cape Disaster Management remains on high alert, and people are urged to call the emergency services in the event of an emergency,” said Bredell.