Floods cause death, havoc on South Coast
TWO people have died in Bonnievale and two have been reported missing in Riversonderend and Stormsvlei after severe flooding in the Struisbaai and Overberg districts on the South C oast.
The Western Cape Disaster Risk Management and other role-players were working to assist several communities across the province that had been hard hit by the storm.
The Department of Environmental Affairs and Developmental Planning said that since making landfall on Wednesday, the storm had wreaked havoc in communities across the south coast, moving inland to towns on the outskirts of the province.
MEC Anton Bredell said: “To date, several people have been rescued in Greyton, Riversondered and Stormsvlei, with a group of farmworkers evacuated from a farm in the Riviersonderend area. The Malgas community has been cut off by the rising Breede River and is at risk of being flooded.
“All major rescue and emergency services have been activated and will continue to assist communities across the affected regions. In addition, the South African Air-force has put an Oryx helicopter on standby to assist with search and rescue operations.
“SAWS (South African Weather Service) predicts the bad weather will continue until Saturday, and while less rain is predicted in the City, a warning has been issued for heavy rain in Oudtshoorn.”
Meanwhile, humanitarian aid relief organisation Gift Of The Givers (GOTG) has activated its emergency response to assist communities.
GOTG spokesperson Ali Sablay said that after receiving a call for assistance from the Cape Agulhas Municipality, the organisation had immediately dispatched its teams to head on site.
“Gift of the Givers teams will be working in different areas, assisting and providing affected people with blankets, mattresses, baby items, hygiene packs, sanitiser, masks, and providing meals three times a day for the next few days,” Sablay said.
Cape Agulhas municipal manager Eben Phillips said the municipality was working in partnership with GOTG to assist hundreds of people hit hard, particularly in north Struisbaai.
“We reached out to GOTG, and they came almost instantaneously. We are grateful to them and the work they are doing.”
The Shoprite Group and other private donors have joined relief efforts in the Overberg District.