 | No major damage reported in Drakenstein, disaster management teams on high alert
10 July 2024 | Press Releases |
9 July 2024While the Drakenstein municipal area has been experiencing consistent rainfall over the last couple of days, Drakenstein Municipality has not received any reports of significant infrastructure damage as a result of these downpours. All roads are open and monitored by the Municipality's Traffic Services, and no areas have been affected by power outages due to the inclement weather.
In certain residential areas such as Saron, Wellington, Groenheuwel in Paarl, and Drommedaris in Mbekweni, residents have reported incidents of localised flooding, to which the Municipality have responded by providing the affected households with sandbags to help keep the water out of their homes. Altogether, 105 sandbags and several roles of plastic sheeting have been issued to assist households.
As the South African Weather Service upgraded its warning for disruptive rainfall for Thursday, 11 July 2024, for the municipalities of Drakenstein, Cape Town and Stellenbosch to Level 8 earlier today, Drakenstein Municipality's disaster management and engineering services teams remain on high alert and are monitoring water levels closely.
In the meanwhile, the Municipality's Stormwater teams deal with blockages as these are being reported by residents and service departments. Particular areas of concern for blockages are informal settlements, areas with backyard dwellers, areas lying lower than the road infrastructure, areas where open trenches are feeding into conduits, and areas where natural valleys or streams historically existed. Most of these blockages are mainly caused by litter and other objects thrown into drains.
As the weather permits, the Municipality's Roads teams continue to fill up and repair potholes that have formed as a result of the last couple of days' rain.
The Municipality's Electro-Technical Services teams continue to monitor the Drakenstein electricity network, and have additional technical personnel and service providers on standby in case of any power outages. The Municipality also have additional administrative personnel in its Control Room, ready to answer telephone calls. It further encourages residents to contact their ward councillors who will direct issues to the relevant Mayoral Committee Member and department (see details here Drakenstein - Contact-a-Councillor).
The Municipality reminds residents to:
- Clear their homes' gutters and downpipes from leaves and debris to assist with the flow of stormwater;
- Make sure their properties' drains are clear of obstructions;
- Refrain from dumping litter or from storing items in stormwater drains;
- Be cautious and stay clear of riverbanks; and
- If you are on the road, remember that visibility might be poor; so, allow yourself enough time to reach your destination.
In case of an emergency, residents can contact the Municipality at 080 131 3553 toll free (all hours).
Strictly for fires, contact the Municipality's Fire Services at 021 872 2323 (all hours).
Residents can also report non-emergency service issues via the Municipality's SeeClickFix app which can be downloaded here:
[END]
Issued by: Communication and Marketing, Drakenstein Municipality
