Drakenstein Municipality responds as gale-force winds batter the Western Cape
|Published
The Western Cape is experiencing severe weather, especially gale-force winds which threatens buildings and hundreds of lives.
The Drakenstein Municipality is seeking to mitigate as much damage as possible and protect property and individuals.
Executive Mayor, Stephen Korabie said that during this past weekend, emergency response teams from multiple departments were dispatched to address critical concerns, damage to infrastructure, houses, and property, and assist affected communities.
“The safety of our residents, our staff and infrastructure is our main focus. As a municipality we have also been taking an eagle-eye approach and been assisting at incidents as far as our capacity allows,” Korabie said.
“Our teams are on the ground removing fallen trees and debris, repairing power lines, and attending to wind-related damage such as collapsed roofs and traffic lights. We are aware of more than 30 houses in Drakenstein that have lost their roofs.”
Korabie said residents in need were provided with emergency housing in community halls throughout Drakenstein. The Fire Services also responded to fires in Wellington and Paarl, along with teams from adjacent towns.
To make matters worse, the South African Weather Service (Saws) issued a Level 9 disruptive rain warning for Monday, April 8. This has led to the province shutting down schools for the day.
“We have taken a decision to close all schools in the Overberg, Cape Winelands, and Helderberg (Somerset) areas tomorrow. The affected schools will communicate with the parents of their learners with regards to closures,” said Western Cape Premier Alan Winde.
“Schools in other areas could be closed, but this will be on a case-by-case basis following the relevant approvals from the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) as per protocols.”
The Drakenstein municipality also urged communities to play their part, and to clear the gutters and downpipes of their homes from leaves and debris — to assist the flow of stormwater and to prevent obstructions and flooding.
“The Municipality’s teams have been clearing stormwater drains since last week. It is imperative to check that drains are open to avoid objects from blocking the flow of water from properties,” warned the municipality.
IOL