Heavy rains bring relief – and also devastation

and ZIPO-ZENKOSI NCOKAZI

KILLER “supercell” storms which slammed into KwaZulu-Natal this week also hammered eastern areas of the Eastern Cape, causing flooding and disruption.

They also dumped snow and rain on the escarpment, bringing temporary but welcome relief to thirsty towns such as Butterworth, where the Gcuwa supply dam, which was empty last week, overflowed its weir in muddy torrents yesterday.

Drought-ravaged farms also got a soaking, which lifted spirits in farming communities. But while dams were filling up yesterday, and some were overflowing, some percentages were still as low as 2%.

The death toll in KwaZulu-Natal from the storm is still unclear. A municipal employee was killed by a collapsing wall, a driver died after his car was immersed in floodwaters gushing onto Isipingo’s Old Main Road and in Umlazi, a 19-month old baby had disappeared and was presumed drowned.

East London Western District Farmers Association chairman Kim Sansom said: “The dams were not filled, so we’re not out of the woods yet, but they caught some water which is a positive.

“It contributed significantly to soil moisture, which should hopefully help with the growth of fodder and crops. Some rivers have also started flowing again.

“This bodes well for the hopes of a good spring season, which is much needed after the past two years of drought, where the only rain we’ve had has been seriously intermittent.”

Kwelega-Gonubie Farmers’ Association chairman Alan Heger said: “Since Sunday we have seen 90mm of rain. Supply points are starting to fill up.”

PE Weather Office spokesman Garth Sampson said: “In the past few days the whole region has seen 150mm of rainfall.”

He said 50mm had fallen in the province in 24 hours up until yesterday morning.

“But these rains are a temporary relief; we need follow up rain to make a real impact,” said Sampson.

“Another cold front is expected from tomorrow.”

•  Villagers and taxi drivers yesterday saved more than 40 pupils from drowning when the bus in which they were travelling became stuck on an overflowing bridge in Nzulwini area, outside Mqanduli.

The 50-seater bus had been transporting pupils from Hole-in-the-Wall to Dudumayo Senior Secondary School in Ngcwanguba village around 8am when it became stuck on the low-lying bridge awash with the heavily flowing river, normally a trickle.

One of the first responders, Wiseman Gxalatshana, told how villagers and taxi drivers worked together to rescue the pupils from drowning inside the flooded bus.

“When I got there I noticed that the front of the bus had been submerged in water, but the problem was that the door was also on the front side, so we called the authorities.

“But other taxi drivers had also started coming in and with the help of the driver we found a way of opening up the middle section of the bus to let the water out. That way we were able to open the door and luckily none of the children were harmed,” said Gxalatshana.

Provincial health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said several rescue vehicles and three ambulances were sent to the scene.

He praised the first responders for their heroic efforts.

“No one was injured. The children were manually rescued by the community.”