Today (Wednesday 14 June), nearly a week after the Helderberg was battered by flooding due to torrential rains which resulted an overflowing Lourens River to burst its banks, catastrophe has struck once again.
The heavy downpour overnight on Tuesday (13 June) and this morning resulted in disaster as excess water spewing from the overflowing Lourens River flooded a section of Victoria Street, opposite the Somerset West Traffic Department as well as the neighbouring Eskom substation, causing power outages in areas of Somerset West, Strand and Gordon’s Bay.
The City of Cape Town with assistance of traffic and law enforcement officials cordoned off the section of the affected arterial route at the Victoria Street/N2 traffic intersection and entrance of Victoria Park residential area. In a somewhat instance of deja vu, Lower Lourens and Mynhardt Street in Gants Centre, Strand, suffered the same fate as the roads were turned into waterways just as it did last Thursday (8 June). Tereo Community School was also battered by what can be tallied as their fourth flood (“Flooding wreaking havoc,” DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette, 14 June).
Before the road closures scenes of motorists risking damage to their vehicles by endeavouring to drive through the stagnant dams, pedestrians taking an unexpected swim to get to their destinations and residents in nearby communities battling the woes with water-logged properties.
The City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Energy, Councillor Beverley van Reenen, confirmed that the power outages may be experienced in areas of Somerset West, especially those in close proximity to the Lourens River as well as parts of Strand and Gordon’s Bay.
Chante Paris, who lives in Haumann street in Somerset West, has had to take off from work due to her house and backyard being flooded. “We were almost knee-deep in water,” she related. “Currently we don’t know when power will be restored. Roads in our area are flooded so now we have to go and walk to the closest shop to buy gas and prepare for being without power.”
In Victoria Park residents were warned of severe flooding in Riverton Street, Carlisle Street, Stockton Crescent, Greyville Street, parts of Park Drive, the lower section of Folkstone Crescent, Turffontein Road and Exeter Road. The water-logged state of the aforementioned streets later resulted in certain road closures for safety reasons. Photos and videos, not just of the flooded roadways, but also of residents’ flooded properties and homes, were widely shared on social media platforms.
The efficient Victoria Park Neighbourhood Watch with valued assistance of helpful community members jumped into action, assisting residents and motorists exit and access the residential area safely, or advising the use of alternatives routes.
The neighbouring community Helderzicht was no exception either. Water was seen spewing from the flooded substation grounds, across Victoria Street and into adjacent properties and those located along the Melcksloot canal with homeowners in Monte Vista Crescent being the worst affected.
In Strand, Kays Caravan Park was flooded and consequently evacuated and areas in Strand North affected.
Van Reenen confirmed her office was in contact with officials and updates will be communicated to the public as received.
“While many areas may have been unaffected or had its electricity supply restored, the restoration time for those still experiencing outages remains unknown at this stage,” she added.
Ward 83 Councillor Carl Punt urges residents to report road flooding and says the easiest way to do this is to contact the Transport Information Centre (TIC) on 0800 656 463.
“To report emergencies please dial 021 480 7700 from a cell phone or 107 from a landline,” he said. “A tracking reference number will be provided, and the request will be directed to the appropriate department for action.”
Punt confirmed that work on ridding the substation grounds of water in order for the power supply giant to assess the damage, and restoring the power supply to areas where it was unexpectedly disrupted is top priority.
“The power supply of about 60% of the affected areas have been restored through shifting supply points to Eskom intake points, which were affected by flooding.”
Punt expressed his gratitude for the two neighbourhood watches, Victoria Park and Strand Neighbourhood Watch which swiftly and efficiently helped to combat the devastation wreaked.
He further reiterated: “After flooding in 2013, the City planned a Lourens River alleviation project to assist with minimising flooding in the Helderberg area. With this project already initiated in areas in Somerset West, the next part will also focus on the area around the Lourens River between the N2 and the ocean.
“In this area, flooding occurs normally near the local testing station (so Tereo school), Victoria Street, De Ruyter Street in Strandvale as well as around Kays Caravan Park and in Strand North,” explains Punt. “Budget for this project and its second phase has already been approved.”
