Flood warning: Patsing residents live in fear amid heavy rainfall

Residents in the Patsing informal settlement in the south of Johannesburg are living in fear of floods amid persistent rain.

Several parts of the country have been experiencing heavy rainfall over the last couple of days with no end in sight to the downpours.

Heavy rainfall in SA

The current rainfall is as a result of a cut-of-low pressure system ^[1] which moved into the central parts of the country on Thursday before becoming quasi-stationary.

A level 5 warning was issued for Gauteng on Saturday morning.

A similar warning weather warning was also issued for KwaZulu Natal (KZN).

This persistent rainfall has had many residents in Patsing informal settlement worried as some were trying their utmost best to stave off the raging floods.

Informal settlement at risk

Speaking to The Citizen on Saturday, one of the residents in Patsing, Walter Ndlovu, described the situation as worrying.

“This entire informal settlement is waterlogged and some of the shacks are also flooded.

“This rain has been falling down heavily for a number of days and the fact that we don’t know when is it going to stop, is what worries us,” said Ndlovu.

Spokesperson for the Johannesburg Emergency Services, Robert Mulaudzi, said most roads in and around the City were slippery and flooding.

“We are urging motorists to keep their headlights on and to extend the safe following distance, and also to avoid crossing roads or bridges that are flooded.

“We are also calling on residents in low-lying areas, especially in informal settlements to avoid crossing river streams and to also monitor young children to stay away from river streams and drainage systems so that we can prevent incidents of drowning,” Mulaudzi appealed.

Emergency services on standby

Emergency services personnel are continuing to monitor the situation with specialised swift water rescue units remaining on high alert.

Mulaudzi’s colleague from Tshwane, Charles Mabaso said the Stoffelparp bridge in Mamelodi was reported to be flooded on Saturday morning where a minibus taxi was stuck with no injuries or casualties reported.

“A house was also reported to be flooded in Temba, Hammanskraal but upon investigation, it was found that only the yard was waterlogged.

“We are monitoring all known hotspots and remain on high alert because further disruptive showers are predicted by the South African Weather Services (SAWS), Mabaso said.

Above normal rainfall this summer

Meanwhile, the SAWS warns of above normal rainfall for the entire summer season, thanks to the La Niña ^[2] weather system, which is associated with large amounts of rain.

NOW LISTEN: Expect a wet 2023, with above-normal rainfall until expected till autumn

Sources:

^{[1] Weather SA media release, 6 February 2023
[2] What are El Niño and La Niña?, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,}