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Rain continues to lash Cape
23/11/2007 09:43 - (SA)
Verashni Pillay and Sapa
Cape Town - About a 1 000 people in the Southern Cape have been evacuated as severe flooding continued on the N2 in the Sedgefield area, authorities told News24 on Friday.
Evacuated residents, mostly from Mossel Bay and George, were being housed in community halls in various areas, according to Eden district municipality disaster manager, Gerhard Otto.
"The houses were wet and the flooding was on the way to some of those areas," he said. "We evacuated as many people as we thought would be trapped."
Authorities closed a 1.5km stretch of the N2, between George and Knysna at about 05:10 on Friday, according to provincial traffic spokesperson Vukile Oliphant.
"It's where the Engen garage is," he said, warning that the closure would likely be in effect all of Friday and part of Saturday.
As heavy rains continued on Friday, Otto said that the water levels were still rising. "It's still coming down and various roads in the area have been closed down," he said.
The alternative Langkloof R62 road was also closed on Friday, and motorists from the Eastern Cape were advised to go via Graaff-Reinet.
Oliphant said there were no accidents or injuries reported.
The municipality's website warned that rain patterns in the area would remain the same on Friday and Saturday with 100mm estimated daily.
Otto said the Red Cross was assisting with blankets and mattresses for those affected, mostly from low income areas in Knynsa, Sedgfield and Plettenberg Bay.
The evacuations were a precautionary measure and nobody had been hospitalised.
Heavy water run off and possible damage led to the closure of the N2 between Sedgfield and Swartvlei, as well as the R62 near Harlem and Misgund, and these roads should not be used.
Motorists travelling from George to Port Elizabeth were advised to use the alternate route over the Outeniqua pass via the R62 and the R57 via Uniondale and Willowmore, but were warned that it was very muddy.
A further 100mm of rain is expected in the area in the next 24 hours.
Meanwhile, in Johannesburg, clean-up operations were under way after a heavy storm left at least three people dead and caused traffic chaos in the area.
In New Canada, 122 people were trapped in floods as vehicles and a bus came to a standstill in high waters.
A young man was killed and two people injured when a tree was uprooted and landed on his car in Perth Road, Westdene and at least two people were killed in lightning strikes - one in Northcliff and one in Randfontein on the West Rand.
Failed traffic lights also caused a severe traffic build-up during rush hour on Friday.
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