UPDATE: Alex flooded, people left destitute

The afternoon storm that hit some parts of Johannesburg caused some flash floods in Alexandra’s Setswetla informal settlement, flooding houses and roads and leaving residents without access to their houses.
City of Johannesburg’s Emergency Management Services’ (EMS) Nana Radebe said the flash floods occurred between 4pm and 5pm but there were no incidents of people being swept away or any reported injuries or any reports of people drowning from the floods.
Radebe said the floods were flowing water which quickly subsided and the situation has since returned to normal. One of the roads, 15th Avenue, which leads to the Alexandra Police Station was flooded in one of the deeps in the street, immersing cars parked in the street and denying residents access into or out of their houses.
She said EMS staff from Alexandra had been sent to the areas and no incidents were reported.

7.33pm

According to residents in the area the Jukskei River burst near Setswetla in Alex, flooding shacks along the river.

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Yvonne Maswanganyi told Alex News, via the WhatsApp group, that the road near the police station had also been flooded, and several cars had been swept away.

READ: Flash flood traps more than one hundred vehicles on N3 Linksfield

An Alex resident, who wished to remain anonymous told Alex News that people in Stwetla were picking up the pieces after the flood. “Looks like everyone is ok… but a lot of things lots, especially shacks and property.” The resident said no police or aid had reached them and people were trying to assist each other in their time of need.

“[The water] has gone down in most places, people who lost everything are hiding out in taverns around the area… my home was not affected,” he told Alex News via WhatsApp.

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