MBOMBELA – Just when Lowvelders thought they were out of the woods, more disruptive rain hit the region and caused floods this past weekend.
The already-saturated soil could not cope with the additional rain, turning creeks into raging rivers throughout Sunday and Monday.
According to Capt Pottie Potgieter of the Ehlanzeni Diving Unit, rapid flooding of low-lying areas resulted in the death of at least six people and five rescue actions in the province since the start of February.
Since January 1, a total of 23 people have drowned – 10 since heavy rain due to Eloise.
The first victim was a five-year-old boy who was swept away while his mother tried to cross the Sukani River in Masoyi on January 24. On the same day, three men were rescued after they had been swept away while rafting near Mashising.
That following Monday morning, the police’s diving unit, the off-road rescue unit and Rescue SA were called out to where a 40-year-old man had disappeared under the water on a stretch of the Blyde River near Pilgrim’s Rest. His body was recovered at around 12:30 on Tuesday, 400 metres from where the incident had occurred.
Witnesses say the man, whose identity is still unknown, was trying to cross the river when he was swept away by a strong current.
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Moments after the recovery, the teams were called out to another drowning near eManzana (Badplaas) when a one-year-old was found in a ditch full of water at Nkaba Trust in Elukwatini. According to a police report, the boy was last seen playing and moments later, his body was found. The body had already been retrieved by the community upon the rescue team’s arrival.
One victim died in an accident in Ermelo when three vehicles collided due to a flooded intersection between Ermelo and Hendrina.
At KaNyamazane, a second victim, whose body is still missing, was swept away when his house, situated next to a water stream, was flooded.
The third victim, aged 30, drowned in the Mhlonhloma River at Nyongane outside Hazyview. His body, which had sustained severe damage, was later recovered on the banks of the river.
A nine-year-old boy is still missing after being taken by floodwaters in eMalahleni. These incidents happened on Sunday.
Another man (40) drowned when he tried to cross a flooded river in Masoyi and was swept away.
In Msholozi one woman drowned when she was taken by the current when she tried to cross a low-water bridge with a friend. The friend was fortunately washed out and rescued.
Two children and their mother were rescued when a flash flood washed through Mataffin, submerging their house.
An elderly couple was rescued from the Sand River in Hazyview after their car was washed away in a flash flood.
A taxi driver was rescued by the community after his vehicle got stuck while he tried to cross a river.
In Dirkiesdorp, Mkhondo, three men were swept away while crossing the floodwater on horseback. One of the men is missing; the other two were washed onto shore, still alive.
Another two children drowned after they had been playing around a flooded rubbish dump hole, and slipped and fell in.
Missing people are presumed to have drowned in the Masoyi, KaNyamazane and Dirkiesdorp areas.
According to Potgieter, rivers remain rapid, and dam levels are steadily increasing.
According to the Department of Water and Sanitation, Kwena Dam recorded a 14,2 per cent improvement in water levels and in the process breached the 50 per cent mark. The department’s state-of-reservoirs report of February 1 shows that the Kwena Dam increased from last week’s 43 per cent to 57,2 per cent. This is an improvement in a strategic dam that was below 30 per cent a few weeks ago.
The average water levels in Mpumalanga increased by 8,7 per cent from last week’s 72,1 to 80,8. The Inkomati-Usuthu Water Management Area increased by 11,7 per cent from 67,9 to 79,6.
Driekoppies increased from 84,8 per cent to 99,2 per cent, Longmere from 58,7 to 69, Klipkoppies from 31,7 to 51,9, Primkop from 104,3 to 109, Kwena from 43 to 57,2, Da Gama from 66,7 to 86 and Inyaka from 61,9 to 69,7.
The only listed dams that recorded some decline in water volumes, but are still above 100 per cent, are Blyderivierpoort Dam, dropping from 105,2 per cent to 102,7, Buffelskloof from 101,4 to 100,8 and Witklip from 103,6 to 101,6.
As the rainfall continues to swell the rivers, dams and streams, the Department of Water and Sanitation urged the public to stay away from watercourses to prevent the loss of precious lives and property. A quick rise in water levels of streams (even dry ones) might still take place with even a small amount of rain, therefore, communities should practice caution when crossing rivers or streams by foot and in vehicles.
The Disaster Management Centre provided the following tips should localised flooding occur:
• Do not attempt to drive through flooded areas‚ even if the water looks shallow enough to cross
• Leave your vehicle if it stalls and immediately move to higher ground
• Never drive into water that covers the road. You do not know how deep it is or whether the road underneath has been washed away
• During heavy rain, be on special alert near dips in the highway and near low-lying bridges
• Exercise caution‚ especially at night when visibility is poor
• Pedestrians must avoid areas where water is flowing rapidly
• Keep children away from playing in drainage ditches or stormwater drains, or areas where water is easily accumulated.
Update on roads
• The N4 at Elandshoek that is closed due to infrastructure damage will remain closed until further notice.
• All gravel roads in the Kruger National Park are closed as precautionary measure.
Rain is expected to persist until Friday.
