Humanitarian organisation, Gift of the Givers has once again stepped in to assist communities affected by flooding in the Western Cape.
Low-income communities in Struisbaai and Cape Agulhas were evacuated from their homes on Wednesday, 5 May after heavy downpours left the area completely flooded. Homes, cars and businesses were under water.
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The Cape Agulhas Municipality requested urgent intervention from Gift of the Givers in the form of humanitarian aid.
They moved locals to community centres as water levels rose on Wednesday.
“Gift of the Givers teams are preparing an emergency response loading our vehicles in Cape Town with blankets, mattresses, diapers, sanitary pads, baby porridge, hygiene packs, sanitizer, masks, and bulk food for mass cooking for those affected (numbers unknown as yet), providing meals three times a day for the next few days,” they said on Facebook.
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) also warned of more heavy rainfall over the City of Cape Town and the Overberg, Cape Winelands and Garden Route districts on Thursday.
Further to the flooding, roads have been closed and with more rain expected, making salvage operations more difficult.
Cape Agulhas Municipality closed Swellendam Road as well as Stormsvlei Road, and cautioned motorists on wet roads and dangerous driving conditions.
“The Bredasdorp / Napier/ Caledon road as well as the Bredasdorp / Struisbaai and Bredasdorp Arniston Roads are all open for traffic. Roads are extremely wet, and conditions are dangerous. Please use extreme caution when using roads. We are continuously monitoring and assessing road conditions and will keep you informed should the situation change,” they said in a Facebook post.
SAWS predicted rainfall of up to 80 to 100mm in the mountainous areas of the Cape. Strong winds, thunderstorms and a chance of hail can also be expected on Thursday.
