Storm damage: you can help

Port Alfred was not subjected to a catastrophe of the magnitude of the 2012 floods, when (according to Stenden Disaster Management lecturer Des Pyle) an intense cut-off low weather system caused eight deaths and around R500m in damage when up to 700mm of rain fell over a nine-day period. After that incident he wrote in the JAMBA Journal of Disaster Risk Studies that “The poorly maintained and ageing infrastructure and storm water systems could not withstand the floodwaters, and as a result, damage was worse than it should have been.”

On Monday, when Talk of the Town visited the flooded CBD, a common cry was that the stormwater drains had been blocked. There were claims that Ndlambe had not cleared or maintained that infrastructure regularly.

Ndlambe, in a response to questions about the stormwater drains maintenance schedule, said foremen in the Infrastructure department were responsible for drawing up and monitoring their teams’ maintenance schedules. They also pointed out that teams were busy on Tuesday attending to blockages.

It’s likely that the schedules are not strictly monitored, and it’s widely accepted that infrastructure maintenance needs to improve. But it’s also a matter of record that there is mal-use of the town’s sewage and stormwater infrastructure, particularly in the CBD, where it’s been reported that waste from certain businesses has been found blocking sewers and stormwater drains there.

The damage from the storm extends across the Ndlambe municipal area. The municipality has asked for citizens’ help in gathering the data they need to speed up the repair of essential infrastructure.

Ndlambe’s Disaster Management and Emergency Services is compiling a report on damage to infrastructure from the storm that struck in the early hours of Monday 8 August 2022.

They need photos of damage to: Roads

Buildings

Walls

Water or sewage pipes Stormwater drains Recreational areas and equipment (sports fields, libraries, clinics, halls) Where:

Anywhere within the Ndlambe municipal area, from Alexandria through to the Fish River, up to Bathurst and surrounding areas, and everything in between.

You can help your community:

The municipality must supply evidence of damage in order to claim the disaster relief funding that will make it possible to restore roads and other infrastructure in Ndlambe that was damaged by the storm. Your photos along with a description of where the damage is (a location pin is a bonus but not essential) will be important evidence.

Please send your photos to: ffouche@ndlambe.gov.za