Severe storm causes flooding and electricity outage in Newcastle, KZN disaster teams deployed
Parts of Newcastle in KwaZulu-Natal were flooded on Sunday due to a severe storm.
Image: KZN Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs
The KwaZulu-Natal Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi has dispatched Disaster Management teams to Newcastle after parts of the CBD were flooded due to heavy rains on Sunday.
In a statement on Sunday night, the Cogta department said the severe storm came as inclement weather had been forecast for KwaZulu-Natal for Monday and Tuesday including potential heavy rains.
“In response to this forecast, Disaster Management teams province-wide are on high alert and are closely monitoring the developing weather conditions to ensure rapid response capabilities are maintained.”
The Newcastle Municipality said, in a separate statement, that teams were implementing immediate response measures to ensure public safety and to minimise further impact.
These measures included:
- Disaster Management personnel are attending to flooded zones and assisting affected businesses and property owners.
- Municipal engineers and technical teams are conducting site inspections to evaluate the extent of storm related damage, particularly where road surfaces and paving have been lifted.
It added that there was also an electricity outage due to the flooding of various substations. It expected that the power would be restored by Monday morning.
The Municipality said all necessary resources have been mobilised to restore affected areas and ensure that essential services continue with minimal disruption.
The municipality said while all roads were open in the CBD some had flood debris.
Image: Newcastle Municipality
It said while all CBD roads are open there was debris and loose items on different roads including washed up paving.
It advised residents to report all water and sewer related complaints to 087 740 8839 and electrical complaints to 034 312 1201 during office hours and after hours to 034 328 4700, and Fire, Disaster and Traffic emergencies to 034 328 4700 or 079 542 8228.