WATCH | Heavy rain in Eastern Cape triggers evacuations in Gqeberha, Kariega

Floods in Kariega

Kariega — Residents in Kariega in the Eastern Cape were forced to evacuate their homes after heavy rainfall caused floods throughout the area.

As roads and infrastructure were damaged by the weather, many people were taken to safety out of their homes to prevent any casualties due to the inclement weather.

According to Gain Boucher, head of disaster management in Kariega, teams have been on the ground since 2am on Tuesday, HeraldLive reported.

“We’ve got a he** of a lot of roads flooded, areas where the stormwater canals have broken their banks so we’ve got a lot of water flowing into the residential area.”

According to NewzroomHeavy Rain in Eastern Cape Triggers Evacuations in Gqeberha and KariegaAfrika, NMB Safety and Security acting Executive Director, Shadrack Sibiya, said processes are currently underway to help the affected residents. He said that roads have been closed and urged residents to stay indoors where necessary.

“If you have to go out, you need to exercise caution and don’t underestimate the level of the water because you might think it’s a little water but it may be a hole where you can actually drown,” Sibiya said.

He said those who have been displaced stand at over 100 people, adding that the bare necessities such as warm food and clothes will be provided to those currently in schools and churches now.

According to News24, Gift of the Givers operations manager, Ali Sablay, said calls were growing for humanitarian assistance.

“We are currently in contact with the local disaster management teams who are identifying and trying to evacuate residents. Our teams will be assisting, and an urgent list has been sent to us for blankets, mattresses, personal hygiene items, and hot meals to assist flood victims, who will be accommodated in school halls and churches,” Sablay said.

He said water tankers would be sent from nearby areas with running water to those areas that do not have any, and the situation would also be monitored at schools and clinics. The Gift of the Givers team was on hand to assist disaster management efforts.

Meanwhile, Nelson Mandela Bay municipality spokesperson, Sithembiso Soyaya, said that Dr Braun residents were evacuated to a church in De Mist while Lapland residents were sent to the Rosedale Indoor Sprot Centre. Missionvale and Uitenhage residents were also being evacuated.

The damage done to areas has been devastating as roads and bridges have collapsed due to the weather, while there have also been multiple outages. These include Perseverance Crossing, Bethelsdorp Road, Bertram Road, Willow Dam, Rensburg Street, Kleinskool Crossing, Standford Road, Kariega Durban Road, and Madina Street. Sections of the N2 and M4 have also been affected.

According to the municipality, a circuit breaker tripped, affecting Motherwell NU 1, NU 2 and surrounding areas.

A circuit breaker at Swartkops/Kwaford substation also tripped, which caused a loss of power supply at General Tire, Ford 1 and 2, Struandale, Struanway and Trident Steel. New Brighton, Seysi and surrounding areas are also affected by power outages.

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Compiled by Matthew Petersen

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