Cape Town - The City of Cape Town’s Disaster Risk Management Centre (DRMC) has activated emergency teams to standby in response to the extreme weather conditions alert issued by SAWS.
According to the City, the South African Weather Services (SAWS) had advised the DRMC of a Yellow Level 4 Warning for Disruptive Rain that could result in localised flooding of roads and susceptible settlements.
Heavy rain is expected over the southern parts of the West Coast, the western parts of Cape Winelands, the City of Cape Town and the western parts of Overberg districts on Tuesday (June 4).
SAWS also issued a Yellow Level 2 Warning for Damaging Winds, which could lead to small vessels and personal watercraft experiencing difficulty in navigating at sea between Cape Point and Cape Agulhas on Monday, and Cape Agulhas to Plettenberg Bay on Tuesday.
DRM spokesperson, Sonica Lategan, said: “We are calling on residents to please work with us to reduce risks to their properties by clearing out drainage systems, and raising the floor level of a structure to be higher than the natural ground level.”
“Residents can also raise furniture on bricks to clear from the floor to limit water damage and make sandbags. Dig trenches around the house to divert water away from the house, report blocked drains, intakes and illegal dumping, especially illegal-dumping in the stormwater canals and sewers, which often makes flooding worse.”
The City also advised residents to waterproof roofs, clear gutters, and remove dead tree branches to mitigate possible damage to properties and facilities.
“The DRMC has alerted all relevant City departments to be on standby to deal with any impacts brought on by the forecast,” Lategan said.
For emergencies, residents can contact the Public Emergency Communication Centre by dialling 107 from a landline or 021 480 7700 from a cellphone.