190 People Displaced In Umlazi Amid KZN Disastrous Floods
As heavy storms hit parts of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) for the second time in a few months, disaster management officials worked through the night evacuating families from high-risk areas.
The majority of the rain fell in the north and central parts of eThekwini, with higher levels in Bluff and Umdloti. Mxolisi Kaunda, Mayor of eThekwini, visited Umdloti on Sunday to assess the extent of the damage in the north coast community.
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“Homes, roads and other infrastructure have borne the brunt of this weekend’s heavy rains, particularly in Umdloti,” said Kaunda in a statement.
“We had to prioritise Umdloti given the severity of the damage in this area,” he added.
The area’s water treatment plant has been damaged, which is expected to have an impact on residents’ water supply. “I call upon residents to be patient as we work speedily to restore key services,” said Kaunda.
Water outages have also affected Mosely Park, Gillits, and KwaNdengezi. “We are still assessing whether these heavy rains had an impact on the work we had already started in Tongaat,” said Kaunda.
At least 190 people have been displaced from Tehuis in Umlazi They have since been relocated to SJ Smith Hall’s temporary shelter. As a temporary measure, mattresses and blankets have been provided.
After their house collapsed, a family in Ward 40 was evacuated to a temporary mass care centre in KwaNozaza.
Residents of two retirement homes in Tongaat and Westbrook were also evacuated. The elderly residents, however, have since returned after the area was deemed safe. There are currently 82 care centres in the city that house displaced people.
“Our health teams continue to provide health services to care centres, including the newly established centre at SJ Smith.”
To help those in need, food, non-perishable items, clothing, blankets, and mattresses are available.
Mudslides have damaged and disrupted several roads. On Sunday, teams arrived on the scene to remove rubble, trees, and mudslides.
Several outages were reported throughout the city as a result of the heavy rains, but officials were quick to respond this time. “The amount of rain was extensive and as such the drainage systems were severely affected. Despite this, some roads have re-opened for traffic,” said Kaunda.
Several outages were experienced throughout the city caused by the heavy rains, however, officials have been quick to respond this time around.
“Electricity infrastructure is still vulnerable since the April floods and any amount of rain can cause further damage to it,” cautioned Kaunda.
“Electricity teams are prioritising fault repairs across the city, especially those faults that affect large areas.”
On Monday morning, KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala is expected to visit areas such as the Bluff, Umdloti, and Westbrook to assess the extent of the damage caused by the recent floods.
While the intensity of the storms has now subsided in most areas of eThekwini, officials remain on high alert as clean-up operations begin. Several municipal teams are working around the clock to assist communities and restore critical services.
