Pretoria – No damage to infrastructure or loss of lives have been reported as tropical depression “Dineo” moves through South Africa, says the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.
Dineo, which has now been classified as a tropical depression, is currently located near the border of South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe.
“Following the entry of Ex-Cyclone Dineo into South Africa yesterday, reports show that a number of areas are already receiving high volumes of rain … The three provinces of Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo have indeed experienced Dineo,” said the department on Friday.
Areas like Graskop, Blyde Canyon, Punda Maria and Makhado have already received varying levels of rain. Graskop has received the highest volume of rain, about 166mm in 24 hours.
Cooperative Governance Minister Des Van Rooyen expressed condolences to Mozambique, where tropical cyclone Dineo made landfall earlier this week accompanied by strong winds exceeding 100 kilometres per hour as well as torrential rainfall and rough seas.
“As we are working to ensure safety of communities in our country, we would like to express our sincere condolences to the authorities of Mozambique who have confirmed to us that thus far they have experienced seven fatalities,” said Minister van Rooyen.
The department said more rain was expected in especially the lowveld of Mpumalanga and eastern Limpopo areas.
“With the widespread rain expected today, the risks of flooding is still high and communities are requested to exercise caution and should heed the messages about tips provided to save their lives.
“Communities are also asked to be cautious as the rivers and dams in some of the affected areas might overflow, thus endangering the lives of the people.”
Areas in Mpumalanga and Limpopo such as Mbombela, Nkomazi, Bushbuckridge, Phalaborwa, Tzaneen, Giyani, Maruleng, Malamulele, Musina and Thulamela, are still at risk.
Important tips
- Communities are advised to remain alert and exercise precautionary measures to ensure their own safety.
- Parents, care givers and guardians are urged to ensure the safety of their children during the storms. In case of going to school, it is important to ensure that they are safe and do not cross flooded roads, bridges and rivers.
- Communities are requested not to cross flooded roads, low lying bridges and rivers. It is also important for people not to underestimate the power of moving water, especially flooded rivers.
- Be especially cautious at night when it’s harder to recognize flood dangers.
- If walking outdoors, avoid crossing rivers and swollen streams where water is above your ankles.
- Just 6 centimetres of fast-moving flood water can knock a person off their feet, and a depth of 2 meters is enough to float a car.
- Never try to walk, swim or drive through fast-moving flood water. Stop, turn around and go another way.
- Listen to the special warnings on radio and/or television.
- Abandon your home immediately guided by relevant authorities if evacuation is recommended, before access is cut off by flood water.
- Never drive into water covering the road. You would not know how deep it is or if the road has been washed away.
- If the vehicle stalls, leave it immediately and seek higher ground.
The department added that disaster management teams across the three provinces will continue to remain on high alert across all spheres of government to deal with any eventualities if they arise. – SAnews.gov.za
