With the north-eastern half of the country, including Mpumalanga, in the throws of a weak La Niña, the province has recently experienced above-average rainfall for the summer resulting in flash flooding.
Mbombela experienced a flash flood on the R40 near Rocky Drift on Monday afternoon December 13, causing a massive traffic backlog as well as the brief closure of the road until the water had dissipated.
Last week’s downpour saw the Elands River and the Elands Waterfall swell to epic proportions, with pictures and videos of the water posted across social media.
Machadodorp was also greatly affected by the rain with a local farmer losing all his work tools, personal belongings and very nearly his home.
Potgieter said that the recent rainfall has caused many rivers and dams across the Lowveld to become full, with concerns that when flood gates of certain dams are opened, roads and nearby areas will become flooded.
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“It is only when Kwena and Vygeboom dams breach their walls, when there’s a real concern for residents downstream,” he said.
He added that as of December 14, the Crocodile, Elands and Komati rivers are all full.
Meanwhile, an official from disaster management said the R40 was notorious for flash floods due to poorly kept storm water drains that did not allow excess water to drain from the road.
He said most of the storms of late were over very quickly but also came with minimal warning.
“It is suggested that residents wait these storms out before walking or driving anywhere. It is not worth the possibility of losing your life or your vehicle to flash flooding.
He said that even a small amount of water on the road could cause a vehicle to aquaplane, no matter the size of your vehicle.
“If you cannot see how the deep the water cover the road or bridge is, then absolutely do not cross it via vehicle or via walking. Parents and family also need to be aware of their children’s whereabouts during the summer, especially if you are living near a river or dam. All it takes is a few seconds of not watching your child for them to fall into a river and be swept away.
The Department of Water and Sanitation’s spokesperson, Sputnik Ratau, confirmed that the dam management process would be implemented to avoid any, or as little as possible, disruption downstream. “We are carefully monitoring the inflow and weather predictions,” he said.
In Tekwane South, the community has once again been reduced to an island following the weekend’s heavy rainfall that washed away two bypass bridges linking the township with their neighbours, Entokozweni East and KaNyamazane.
The two bypass bridges were created after January’s heavy storm washed away the bridge on the main road, the D2296, linking Tekwane South and the outside neighbours.
As a temporary measure, the City of Mbombela has constructed a bypass bridge. The Tekwane South community members also built their own bypass on the western side of the township.
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Now, motorists have to once again use the already congested N4 or use the Pienaar Road when travelling to town or between these neighbouring areas.
However, the City of Mbombela spokesperson, Joseph Ngala, said they would attend to the bypass bridge to allow the smooth flow of traffic once again.
“We are deeply worried that the bypass bridge was also washed away by the heavy rain. We really feel the motorists’ pain of having to drive a few more kilometres when travelling between these communities. The City is aware of the situation and is working with speed to fix it,” he said.
SIDE BAR
In the event of heavy rain, it is always advisable to avoid large bodies of water. Disaster management has 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 storm-water drains or areas where water is easily accumulated.
SIDE BAR
The South African Weather Service explains what happens during an La Niña:
La Niña is the cooling of sea-surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean which influences atmospheric circulation, and consequently rainfall and temperature in specific areas around the world.
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