PICTURES: Heavy rains flood homes and roads
A woman is in hospital after heavy rains collapsed a wall and washed her down together with a portion of her house in Umhlatuzana Road.
RESIDENTS in Queensburgh and surrounds are working on rebuilding their homes and various structures of their properties after a weekend of heavy rains that flooded homes and roads. According to the eThekwini Municipality, heavy rains started on Sunday, 24 July.
“The eThekwini Municipality Disaster Management team is monitoring water levels in the rivers and streams, following heavy rains, causing flooding to homes and roads around the city. As water levels rise many residents face the possibility of having their homes flooded,” said Head of Communications, Tozi Mthethwa.
Although most of the damage around the city was caused by the floods, a family in Scott Place said a burst pipe was the reason their house got flooded. “The pipe burst at about 7.30pm on Tuesday, 26 July and the water was shut off at 10pm. The water came gushing down and created a path that ran straight into the house,” said owner, Sharon Botha. She said that this incident was the fifth within a space of two years. “Boulders, rubble and sand have washed down into the property. The water has also gone inside the house,” she added.
A woman is in hospital after heavy rains collapsed a wall. The water swept her out the house, together with a portion of her house in Umhlatuzana Road.
Councillor Chris van Den Berg said a lot of residents were affected by the heavy rains and believed that damage could have been limited. “Although no one will confirm this, I believe that 80 per cent of storm water drains in eThekwini are blocked. These drains are not properly maintained. Yes, there was a lot of rain over the past few days but the damage should not have been to this extent,” he said.
Mayor, James Nxumalo, advised residents to be cautious during this period. “We advise community members to refrain from crossing low-lying bridges and to avoid streams. We are monitoring areas around the city that are prone to flooding,” he said.
For emergencies and flooding, residents are urged to call the Disaster Management Centre on 031 361 0000.
