The rain and cold is set to continue tonight, with a low of 6ºC. Tomorrow, Friday June 12, will bring sun and clouds with a high of 14ºC and a low of 8ºC, according to AccuWeather.
There were some broken branches in Goodwood, power outages in a few roads in Monte Vista and uprooted trees in areas across the city, including Durbanville.
John Ross of Goodwood said the drains were cleaned just before the rains so he has not heard of any flooding.
James Ellis of Glenwood said he is not aware of any flooding or other issues relating to the weather conditions.
“Let’s hope and believe this will be the norm during the winter months,” said Mr Ellis.
Leona Van Wyk, chairperson of Goodwood Neighbourhood Watch said they did have a few blocks in certain streets reporting that the street lights had power but not the houses. “They called the City of Cape Town electricity department and the issues seem to have been resolved as I did not get an escalation on the original complaint. We have also noted that the City got a company to clean the drains and these have been marked/sprayed with red dots. We hope that this will continue to be done through Goodwood to prevent the flooding that did occur in previous years,” said Ms Van Wyk.
“Illegal dumping into stormwater channels, sewers and canals comes at a massive cost, not only because it increases the risk of flooding when it rains, but also because it requires resources and funding to clean, which could have been spent on other services,” said Mr Plato.
Mayoral committee member for safety and security, JP Smith, said winter readiness is the responsibility of the City and residents.
Departments are working around the clock to ensure flooding is minimised.
Mr Smith said the City’s Public Emergency Communication Centre took over 1 000 calls with 367 calls taken overnight and 713 calls answered during the day. Just under 60% of calls were flood related, equally spread between informal and formal housing, while 40% were storm-related calls.
Residents can reduce the risk to their properties by ensuring that gutters are cleaned, that trees are pruned and that there are no obstructions in waterways around the home that could result in flooding or water damage.
Report problems or seek assistance:
· Flooding, blocked drains and service disruptions can be reported to the City’s call centre at 0860 103 089
· Enquiries and/or complaints regarding burst and leaking water mains, faulty and leaking water meters, blocked and overflowing sewers can also be sent via SMS to 31373
· Enquiries and/or complaints regarding electricity fault reporting can be sent via SMS to 31220
· For emergencies, contact the Public Emergency Communication Centre by dialling 107 from a landline, or 021 480 7700 from a cellphone.
When logging an emergency, provide as much information as possible, including an exact location with possible landmarks and any contact numbers and names. If it’s a medical incident include patient information such as any underlying/chronic conditions or a specific medical history.
The City’s Winter Readiness Plan includes:
· Identifying at-risk informal settlements and moving residents to higher ground or implementing flood-mitigation measures
· Ongoing education and awareness programmes around flood and fire awareness which includes practical tips on how to raise floor levels, divert flood waters and reduce the health hazards associated with stagnant water
· Cleaning critical stormwater infrastructure in high flood-risk areas and removing invasive aquatic and terrestrial plants along key river corridors
· Proactive pruning/maintenance of trees to minimise the risk of falling branches and debris
· Service level agreement with the South African Social Service Agency to provide humanitarian aid to residents in distress and discomfort as a result of flooding and storm damage
· Funding to create additional temporary capacity at qualifying shelters to accommodate street people.