Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Another Cape cold front predicted for today
CAPETONIANS and those further afield in the province have been urged to brace themselves for another cold front which is expected to make landfall this afternoon.
A forecaster at the Cape Town Weather Office, Stella Nake, said while no flood warnings were in place, the cold front would bring wet, windy and cold conditions over the Cape Metropole, West Coast District, Cape Winelands and the Overberg early tomorrow.
Disaster Management spokesperson Charlotte Powell said the city’s roads and stormwater department had cleared most roadways and unblocked drains. Chapman’s Peak Drive is open, but mudslides in Hout Bay and Camps Bay have not yet been cleared.
The city’s traffic service is manning a stop-and-go system between Bakoven and Suikerbossie. The Huguenot tunnel was reopened.
“The recreation and parks department cleared uprooted trees, but electricity still had to be restored in a number of areas including Parow Valley, Langa, Durbanville, Mfuleni, Bridgetown, Constantia, Cape Farms and Clovelly,” said Powell.
Vrijzee Preparatory School in Goodwood was flooded, and pupils were sent home yesterday.
Meanwhile, the city’s flooding and storms task team completed its annual flood risk assessment – a key element of the city’s winter-readiness plan. It identified 29 informal settlements at risk of flooding. Most are situated along the N2 strip and Khayelitsha and are considered at high risk.
Parts of the N1, N2 and R300 highways have also been identified as flood risks, and roadworks to mitigate these risks are under way.
There is a warning in place that mountain slopes in the Helderberg, South Peninsula and Table Mountain range that have been stripped of stabilising vegetation by fires are a risk for flooding or mudslides.
Mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith said: “We are doing general maintenance like cleaning of stormwater and river systems, pruning of trees and shrubs and public education and awareness drives on how to safeguard homes, particularly in informal settlements, from flooding and related risks.
“We will also engage with the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) to ensure the quickest possible turnaround times in instances where disaster relief is required.
“We cannot afford a situation in the event that residents are displaced or affected in any way by winter flooding,” Smith said.
Weekend Argus spoke to Goodwood Body and Spray manager George van der Westhuizen, who with staff, was still mopping up yesterday after heavy rains on Thursday night and yesterday morning. “Many of our electrical appliances and one of the generators were damaged. We cannot even find a wet vacuum cleaner.
He said due to the flooding, they could only focus on urgent jobs.
“We are working with a skeleton staff and we are losing money and are behind with jobs,” he lamented.
Clinics in Parow and Belhar were closed yesterday due to flooding, but other arrangements were madefor those seeking medical attention at these facilities.
Anyone in need of emergency services this weekend is urged to contact the city’s Public Emergency Communication Centre on 021 480 7700 from a cellphone or 107 from a landline.