Aftermath of weekend's heavy rainfall in George

Update

GEORGE NEWS - In the wake of last weekend's adverse weather conditions, local authorities have been working tirelessly to address the aftermath of a mudslide, fallen trees, water and power outages, and other issues.

A significant rainfall of 92,2mm had been recorded for George for last weekend.

Good news for commuters was that all roads were open by Sunday after a mudslide and a fallen tree temporarily disrupted traffic on the N2 at Kaaiman's Pass and Far Hills.

Though the roads are cleared, residents and travellers are advised to use Saasveld Road/Seven Passes with extreme caution. This road was closed again on Monday 23 October and has not been reopened.

If you spot any visible damage to road surfaces, please report it immediately by calling 044 801 9262 or 044 801 9266.

The SWD Premier League rugby match between Crusaders and Barbarians from Mossel Bay was called off as the field at Rosemoor Sport field was flooded.
Photo: Derrick Petersen

Water outages

George Municipality has repaired all pipe bursts, and water supply has been fully restored.

However, if any residents are still experiencing water issues, they are encouraged to report water leaks, pipe bursts, or sewerage problems by calling 044 801 9262 or 044 801 9266 for immediate assistance.

Storm drains – 57 complaints

Following the heavy rainfall, authorities received 57 complaints about blocked storm water drains. By 20:00 on Sunday night, 50 of these blockages had been cleared, and two gravel roads had been repaired.

To help maintain clear storm drains, residents are asked to promptly report any blocked drains to 044 801 9262 or 044 801 9266.

Power outages

Unfortunately, a portion of Ballots Bay was without power until Tuesday morning due to the subsidence of ground around an electrical pole in Thembalethu.

In Wilderness Heights, terrain challenges made power restoration efforts difficult, but dedicated teams resolved the issues on Monday night.

Assistance to flooded homes

To assist affected residents, 250 pieces of Gunplast were distributed to 25 areas within George.

This temporary measure was aimed at helping those residences that qualified under the Municipal Emergency and Accommodation Assistance Policy.

Dyllan Hopewell shared this before (top) and after (bottom) photograph he took on Saturday 21 October of his backyard on the Kat River in Denneoord.

Gwaiing landfill site

The Gwaiing landfill site is open, but residents are urged to exercise caution when navigating the roads as they are still slippery.

Percentage storage at new raised dam wall height stood at 100% earlier this week. Rainfall for the previous seven days, up to and including 24 October, was measured at 108,5mm. Photo: Jeff Ayliffe