A number of major roads remain closed due to inclement weather in Cape Town. Picture: Leon Lestrade/Independent Newspapers
A number of major roads remain closed due to inclement weather in Cape Town, including Baden Powell Drive between Sunrise Circle and Strandfontein Road, Clarence Drive and Chapman’s Peak Drive.
City traffic’s Maxine Bezuidenhout said Napolean Avenue at Horn Crescent in Melkbosstrand remained closed, as well as 35th Avenue and Lavis Drive, and at 35th Avenue and Owen Drive where the left lane is closed.
“Numerous roadways are also still affected by trees obstructing roadways. Efforts are under way to address the impacts,” Bezuidenhout said.
“Road users should please proceed with caution, and we also want to remind them that where traffic lights have been affected they should please treat those as four-way stops.”
The City said it has detected incidents on its CCTV network of children playing in flooded roadways and near water bodies that were flowing at near capacity.
@capetimessa City Disaster Risk Management Centre (DRMC) spokesperson Sonica Lategan said assessments by Wednesday indicated that more than 14 000 structures had been affected by varying degrees of flooding or wind damage. #weatheralert #capestorm #newsupdate ♬ New Room - Fleaux
“We appeal to communities to please keep children away from water bodies as it is a health and safety risk.”
Various NGOs are involved in humanitarian relief efforts, including Gift of the Givers, Islamic Relief, Ashraful Foundation, Living Hope, Mustadafin Foundation and Al-Imdaad. Since the beginning of the week, they have distributed 44 642 meals and nearly 10 000 blankets, as well as beanies, mattresses and hygiene packs to affected communities.
The City’s Informal Settlements Management Branch has also issued more than 6 500 flood kits, while other service departments continue to attend to flooded roadways and electrical faults, among other problems.
“Assessments are also ongoing of additional impacts brought about by the latest cold front that made landfall overnight,” City Disaster Risk Management said.
Cape Times