eThekwini on flood alert as severe storms hit KZN

The eThekwini Municipality has assured residents in KwaZulu-Natal that it is in a state of readiness to deal with any emergencies following the storm alert warnings by the South African Weather Services (Saws).

Saws issued three impact-based warnings for several areas in the province for Tuesday.

Warnings

• An Orange Level 6 warning for disruptive rain leading to flooding of roads and settlements, danger to life (fast flowing streams), damage to property, as well as major disruption of traffic flow along the coast and interior of the King Cetshwayo and uMkhanyakude Districts of KwaZulu-Natal.
• A Yellow Level 2 warning for Disruptive rain leading to localised flooding of informal settlements, roads, low lying areas and bridges as well as localised disruption to municipal services in places over Ugu District, Durban Metro, eastern parts of uMgungundlovu, iLembe District, western parts of King Cetshwayo, eastern parts of Zulu Land District, as well as Umvoti Local municipality .
• A Yellow Level 2 warning for Severe thunderstorms with possible damaging winds, large amount of small hail, and heavy downpours that may cause the breaking of tree branches and damage to poorly constructed settlements is expected over the western and central interior of Limpopo, excluding the extreme south -western parts.

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Precautions

The eThekwini Municipality said the City’s Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) was activated in coordination with officials and provincial representatives to ensure the preparedness of primary and support agencies.

“Over the past 12 hours, eThekwini received approximately 44.6mm of rain, primarily affecting the southern region of the city and causing significant waterlogging on several roads.

“The Disaster Management Centre maintains its vigilance, monitoring low-risk areas, particularly stream crossings prone to flooding,” it said.

The municipality has advised residents to take precautionary measures to ensure their safety during the heavy rainfall.

“Motorists are urged to exercise extreme caution, maintain a safe following distance, and avoid speeding on wet roads,” the municipality said.

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