Picture: (L) Facebook/Severe weather across Southern Africa, (R) Facebook/PE Traffic Reports
The town of George and other regions along the Garden Route in the southern Cape has been hit by severe localised floods after heavy rainfall on Sunday and Monday.
Homes, streets, businesses – even the golf course – have been flooded.
The George Municipality and Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) joint operations centre (JOC) used rescue boats to manoeuvre through the flooded streets and rescue residents.
Several roads have been closed and residents have been urged to stay home if they can. In addition, schools have been closed for the day, and exams cancelled.
Emergency services are on high alert, and Gift of the Givers teams are “preparing a full intervention” in George, Mosselbay and Oudsthoorn.
ALSO READ: Forecast: Widespread thunderstorms, flooding on the cards today
The Garden Route District Municipality’s fire and rescue services unit has been dispatched to rescue a family trapped in their home on Merriman Street.
Meanwhile, the district municipality has encouraged residents and motorists to report flood-related incidents to the 24/7 Emergency Call Centre on 044-805-5071, or the municipality on 044-801-6300.
Alternatively, contact 044-801-9262/6 during office hours for issues related to streets, stormwater, and sanitation; and 044-801-9222 or 044-803-9222 for electricity-related issues
The Great Brak River in the Mossel Bay Local Municipality, in the Western Cape, is flooding as well, with water flowing towards the Wolwedans Dam, some 10km away.
This comes after the South African Weather Service (Saws) on Sunday said the area between Mossel Bay and Plettenberg Bay had the highest amount of rainfall.
Forecaster Kumsa Masizana said the upper air system would spread to the coastal areas of the Western Cape, specifically along the south coast – the Garden Route.
Saws issued a yellow level 2 alert for severe thunderstorms over southeastern areas, for strong damaging winds and large amounts of hail.
An additional yellow level 2 alert was issued for heavy rain leading to localised flooding along the Garden Route and the Tsitsikamma route in the Eastern Cape.
READ MORE HERE: Widespread thunderstorms, flooding on the cards today
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