City Power get thousands of calls but response could be delayed by heavy rain

City Power says its operations have been impacted by the heavy rainfall that has flooded some roads and damaged electricity infrastructure in parts of Johannesburg.

The South African Weather Services (Saws) on Sunday issued a Yellow Level 5 warning for disruptive rain that could lead to flooding.

The heavy rainfall has already caused severe traffic congestion, and a number of accidents have already been reported in several parts of the city.

Logged calls

City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena said they have already logged thousands of calls.

“We opened the day with over 2 600 logged calls, with the majority emanating from the Inner City, where two lines from Sebenza tripped in the early hours of this morning. Despite prevailing challenges, we have managed to restore line 1, and the team is currently inspecting line 2, to determine the cause of the trip.

The following areas are affected:

• Bertrams;
• Kensington;
• Fairview;
• Malvern;
• Troyville and surrounding areas.

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Restoration

Mangena said the estimated time of restoration will be provided once the assessment is done.

“The South African Weather Services has issued a Level 5 warning for sustained heavy rainfalls, which could affect our operations, resulting in delayed response to outage calls,” Mangena said.

High alert

Meanwhile, Johannesburg Emergency Service (EMS) said it will be on high alert throughout the city due to heavy and persistent rain.

Johannesburg Emergency Services spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi urged motorists to continue to exercise caution while driving.

“Extend safe following distance, avoid crossing flooded roads and low-lying bridges, and residents in low-lying areas are urged to avoid crossing river streams when conducting daily activities.”

Mulaudzi said their emergency services have activated disaster management monitoring teams in all seven regions of Johannesburg to monitor the most vulnerable communities and informal settlements.

The City of Tshwane Emergency Services has also called on communities to remain alert following the warning by Saws.

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