Don’t stand too close to graves: Cape Town urges residents to consider burials before storm hits

The City of Cape Town is appealing to residents to consider doing burials before Saturday ahead of severe storms expected to hit the city.

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) issued a Level 5 warning for Cape Town and surrounding municipalities.

The mother city is still reeling from severe weather with heavy rainfall earlier this month, leaving cemeteries water-logged and the soil saturated and muddy.

Warning

The city’s Mayco member for Community Services and Health Patricia van der Ross warned disruptive rainfall this weekend coincides with one of the busiest days of the week for City cemeteries.

“With the soil already saturated, it will not take a lot of rain for flooding to occur.”  

Van der Ross said while the city has advocated for more weekday burials, Saturdays remain the most popular days for several reasons.

“Our cemeteries are incredibly busy on weekends, and this coming weekend will be no different. Our teams are on hand to ensure that operations proceed as smoothly as possible under the circumstances, but if the forecast holds, there will likely be an impact.

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Soil saturated

“Cape Town has experienced a lot of rainfall this month, so the soil remains very saturated. As we’ve indicated before, this could affect grave depths or reopening of existing graves for second burials, resulting in delays or even forcing the use of an alternate grave,” Van der Ross said.

Van der Ross urged funeralgoers to try expedite burials so that they can manage traffic in and out of the cemeteries, and also limit people’s exposure to conditions underfoot.

“The public is reminded that roads, pathways and parking lots could be flooded, or slippery, so be cautious. Wear suitable weatherproof clothing and waterproof non-slip shoes to avoid slipping and puddles.

“Consider a smaller number of people attending burials, particularly during episodes of inclement weather. Exercise caution when carrying coffins and avoid standing too close to open graves. Undertakers to exercise caution with Gazebos in windy conditions,” Van der Ross said.

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