Article: Gauteng flood warning issued

Has someone sent this weather report to Eskom yet? Wouldn't want their coal to get wet :whistle:
 
I for one am shocked that drowning is a cause of death during flooding periods , I am glad that our esteemed govt bought this complicated issue to my attention
 
Really just wish this rain would piss off already. But come August, there will be those people begging for the rain to come as usual...
 
Just received a warning from our Community policing Forum. The Vaaldam is at 105% and the Nr. 8 water control gate will be opened today. It is expected that low line areas close the the Vaaldam as well as along the Vaal River could be affected by rising water levels.

Last time they did this, half of Three Rivers was under water.
 
Jladan said:
I for one am shocked that drowning is a cause of death during flooding periods , I am glad that our esteemed govt bought this complicated issue to my attention
Click to expand...
:D:D And then you get people who think the government is incompetent.
 
INCREASED DROWNINGS, RESCUES COUNTRY-WIDE DUE TO FLOODS

Rising floodwater levels have caused havoc with an increasing number of drownings and rescues taking place in parts of the country.

In Limpopo, about seven people were almost washed away in a bakkie in Zebediela, Polokwane, on Monday morning, ER24 spokeswoman Luyanda Majija said.

The group was trapped in the road where the water was about 50cm deep. They managed to get to semi-dry land unharmed, Majija said.

The bakkie was removed by the fire department.

Limpopo police Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said an elderly woman who was swept away with her husband while swimming in Bela-Bela at the weekend was still missing on Tuesday.

The two were swimming in an undercover swimming pool at the Kariba Lodge on Friday when the Bela-Bela dam overflowed and they were swept away.

The body of a 74-year-old man was found on Saturday. The search for the 69-year-old woman was continuing, he said.

Majija said a group of men were rescued by helicopter from rising water caused by the overflowing Mogol River in Vaalwater, Limpopo, over the weekend.

In Bloemfontein, paramedics attended to a number of collisions caused by heavy rain which started just after 6pm on Monday, she said.

"Although the collisions were minor, getting to the separate scenes has proven difficult for responding paramedics due to heavy traffic."

The Kruger National Park said on Tuesday its bush camps would remain closed due to continuing floods in the area, SA National Parks spokesman Reynold Thakhuli said on Tuesday.

Although water levels in the Limpopo, Letaba, Levuvhu, and Crocodile rivers had dropped, all gravel roads in the Marula region of the park were closed.

He said more heavy rain was expected in the region.

Meanwhile, in Mpumalanga, six people drowned in various parts of the province between Friday and Monday due to heavy flooding, SA police services diving unit spokeswoman Captain Joey Potgieter said.

In North West, Cosatu warned people living near low lying areas and water sources in the province to exercise caution and to relocate if possible.

"If there is a need they must relocate as soon as possible to avoid further disasters," Congress of SA Trade Unions provincial secretary Solly Phetoe said in a statement.

A method should also be developed to assist pupils in the area who were unable to get to school due to infrastructure damage and transport difficulties, Phetoe said.

"[We] plead with the educators to develop some means to assist those scholars with a catch-up plan... and also the parents to be part of their children's education program in dealing with those challenges."

He urged people and government to provide assistance to those who were affected by the floods.

"We call on all our members and other stakeholders to join all our affected municipalities and government to help with all they can for our poor communities."


Source : Sapa /mr/hdw/jk
Date : 11 Mar 2014 13:31
 
VAAL RIVER EXPECTED TO OVERFLOW

Residents of Ngwathe in the Free State were urged to take precautionary measures as the Vaal River could overflow, the SABC reported on Tuesday.

Ngwathe municipality spokesperson Steve Nale told the public broadcaster an overflow was anticipated as dams were releasing more water into the river.

This was due to heavy rain and flooding in the area.

People in the area were urged to avoid swimming across the river.

Nale told SABC that residents should contact the municipality's fire and rescue department in cases of emergency.


Source : Sapa /kd/jk
Date : 11 Mar 2014 13:32
 
HEAVY RAINS CAUSE COUNTRYWIDE HAVOC

Several drownings and rescue operations were reported on Tuesday as persistent rain and flooding caused havoc in several parts of the country.

In Mpumalanga alone, 11 people drowned during the past week because of heavy rains. Another 12 were rescued.

Vehicles were also swept away in floods.

The SA Weather Service said flooding in the eastern parts of the country remained a risk due to high saturation caused by the rainfall.

These included Gauteng, the Free State, and North West, forecaster Elizabeth Webster said.

Rainfall patterns would shift to the north-eastern parts of the country, including Gauteng, Mpumalanga, and Limpopo, on Wednesday.

"This would also bring an 80 percent chance of rain to the region," said Webster.

The rainy weather conditions were expected to clear up in the north-eastern regions by Friday.

The military remained on standby to help if necessary.

SA National Defence Force (SANDF) spokesman Brig-Gen Xonani Mabanga said it was common practice to mobilise the SANDF for assistance in rainy weather conditions.

"[However] there has been no request from any department for such assistance as yet," Mabanga said.

Mpumalanga police spokesman Colonel Leonard Hlati said Tonga, Nelspruit, Greylingstad, Piet Retief, and Badplaas were among the areas hit by heavy rains in the province.

Three children, aged between two and 11, were among the 11 people who had drowned last Tuesday.

Twelve people, including motorists whose vehicles were swept away when they attempted to cross flooded bridges, were rescued by the inland water police and diving service, said Hlathi.

Mpumalanga co-operative governance and traditional affairs MEC Simon Skhosana handed over relief supplies to residents affected by flooding in the Nkomazi local municipality near Badplaas.

Skhosana, accompanied by Nkomazi mayor Thulisile Khoza, handed over food parcels and blankets to the 38 affected families on Monday, department spokesman George Mthethwa said.

Skhosana also visited several bridges in Mzinti, Tonga and Mlumati, to determine the extent of the damage caused by heavy rain and flooding in the area.

Mthethwa said the department was co-ordinating reconstruction of the damaged bridges and the matter had been discussed with sector departments.

In Limpopo, seven people were almost washed away in a bakkie in Zebediela, Polokwane, on Monday morning, ER24 spokeswoman Luyanda Majija said.

A group of men were also rescued by helicopter from rising water caused by the overflowing Mogol River in Vaalwater, Limpopo, over the weekend.

A 69-year-old woman, who was swept away with her husband while swimming in an undercover swimming pool at Klein Kariba at the weekend, was still missing on Tuesday.

Limpopo police spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said her 74-year-old husband's body was found on Saturday.

The two were swimming on Friday when the Bela-Bela dam overflowed.

The SABC reported on Tuesday that the Vaal River was also expected to overflow.

Heavy rains had caused dams to release more water into the river.

Power failures hit parts of Tshwane in Gauteng earlier in the day, the city said.

Areas affected were Silverton, Nellmapius, Samcor Park, Waltloo and parts of Mamelodi.

This was due to cable faults caused by the heavy rain and power was expected to be restored by Wednesday.

The city urged people to switch off all non-essential appliances and to report any other power failures.

Also in Tshwane, a taxi carrying 13 passengers tried to cross a low-water bridge which was washed away by flood water in Mabopane, north of Pretoria on Monday.

"None of the passengers were injured and the taxi was recovered," Tshwane emergency services spokesman Johan Pieterse said.

In North West, Cosatu warned people living near low lying areas and water sources in the province to exercise caution and to relocate if possible.

Congress of SA Trade Unions provincial secretary Solly Phetoe urged people and government to provide assistance to those who were affected by the floods.

Continuing floods had also caused the closure of bush camps at the Kruger National Park.

SA National Parks spokesman Reynold Thakhuli on Tuesday said all gravel roads in the Marula region of the park were also closed due to the weather conditions.


Source : Sapa /kd/hdw/gq/lp
Date : 11 Mar 2014 17:16
 
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