Heavy rain causes huge damage

Update Video

GEORGE NEWS & VIDEOS - George Municipality assisted with numerous complaints of flooding in formal and informal housing areas and several streets had to be closed after heavy rainfall on Thursday and Friday, 23 and 24 June.

A total of 75mm was measured before 08:00 on Friday and a further 30mm for the rest of the day.

According to municipal head of communications Chantel Edwards, the municipal joint operational centre was activated at 08:30 to attend to complaints relating to storm damage.

Firefighters assisted with 27 call-outs where sandbags were provided, as well as two minor accidents on the Outeniqua Pass and a pedestrian who had been knocked down.

Wilderness experienced extensive flooding with several houses on Southside and Anchorage streets being flooded.

In George, businesses and homes were affected in Hope, Merriman, Market and Courtenay streets and the industrial area. Two formal houses in Herold's Bay had walls collapse. A high number of informal houses were reported as flooded. A total of 35 complaints was received by the Human Settlements division, that supplied 180 pieces of gunplast to homeowners.

Civil Engineering Services was kept extremely busy, attending to 42 sewer-related, 43-water related and 70 road- and storm water-related complaints from Thursday evening to Friday 16:30.

VIDEOS: Nicol Marais, owner of Power Van

Electrical outages

Various areas experienced power outages due to the weather conditions including the Airport line, Herold's Bay, Tamsui, Groeneweide Park, Airport Road, Proefplaas, Hansmoeskraal, Oubaai, Pacaltsdorp, Bos en Dal, George South, Portion George Industrial, portions of Thembalethu and Erf 325.

These outages were further exacerbated by Eskom announcing stage 4 load-shedding at 11:00 on Friday. A total of 212 complaints relating to electrical issues were received from Thursday evening until Friday evening.

Roads temporarily closed

A number of roads were either temporarily closed due to the flooding or warnings were issued to drive with caution. Those briefly closed included Southside and Anchorage streets in Wilderness, Hope and Union streets and one lane of Courtenay Street.

Warnings were issued for Victoria, Merriman, CJ Langenhoven, Market and St Leger streets.

A wall collapsed at this home in Herold's Bay.

Refuse collection delayed

Refuse collection was delayed due to the heavy rainfall and only started after 11:00. Collections that could not be finished on Friday were addressed on Saturday 25 June in Loerie Park, CBD businesses, shopping centres and businesses in Wilderness.

The landfill site was also closed for access on Friday as localised flooding prevented access to the area for building rubble and garden waste.

A team of 59 EPWP workers and their co-ordinators cleaned the entrances into George on Saturday and Sunday and all sidewalks and parking areas were cleared of debris caused by the heavy rain.

Damage to municipal infrastructure

Certain municipal offices had to be closed as flooding created a danger of electrical fire. These included the new housing offices and social services offices.

In Hope Street, Alicia Niemand's swimming pool area was flooded. They were also affected in the November flood last year.