KZN Floods: Residents Asked to Leave Low Level Areas, More Flood Warnings Issued
- The devastating floods in the KwaZulu-Natal are expected to return over the long weekend as more warnings are being issued
- Many KZN residents have lost their livelihoods and loved ones are being told to anticipate more heavy rains over the Easter weekend
- On social media, many people have shared how the flooding has impacted their lives, with one person talking about not being able to sleep properly anymore
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DURBAN - The KwaZulu-Natal province might have to contend with more floods as warnings about more heavy rains have been issued.
The heavy rains are forecasted to take place over the Easter weekend and disaster management teams are said to be on high alert.
Source: Getty Images
According to SABC News, KZN residents are being urged to move away from low-level areas by officials. With clean up operations currently taking place, officials have now stated that 395 people have unfortunately lost their lives due to the floods.
Mmamoloko Kubayi, the Minister of Human Settlements has gone down to KZN to assess the extent of the damage caused by the floods as well as implement the government's intervention plans.
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SA Weather Services explains the flooding in KZN
The SA Weather Service says the continued high winds and more rainfall could result in even more flooding in KZN and other provinces such as the Eastern Cape, reports The Guardian.
Meteorologists say the flooding caught them off guard. In certain regions of KwaZulu-Natal, nearly an entire year's worth of rain fell in less than 48 hours. The SA Weather Service maintains that flood warnings were issued in a timely manner, however, they could not predict how heavy the rainfall would be.
The service stated that such extreme weather conditions are being experienced across the globe more frequently and can be linked to global warming.
"Heavy rain events such as the current incident can … be expected to recur in the future and with increasing frequency,” said the SA Weather Service.
South Africans speak about their experience with the floods
Since the flood warnings, some South Africans say they have o not been able to sleep properly. Others have also shared how they have lost their homes as a result of the floods. Some people feel like they have been failed by the SA Weather Service.
Here are some comments below:
@Bright0408 said:
"I slept with one eye open last night coz they say we should prepare for worse after what we have experienced. I kept on checking if the house is not flooded and I had to keep my kids closer should anything happens. Thank God we woke up today #kznflood"
@MBashion said:
"I'm thinking the SA weather forecast failed the province somehow, the wreckage and trail of what happened in Kwazulu-natal says "cyclone" or something similar... How did they fail to see this and warn people in advance to evacuate though....#KZNFlood"
@Amanda93938475 said:
"What’s sad is that you guys don’t get it. People lost everything, including their mental well-being.on top of that asinamazi asinagesi it’s cold. Travelling is literally limited now. But hey we will pick up the pieces thank you for praying for us #kznflood"
KZN floods: Cleanup operations currently underway, over 300 people killed due to floods
Briefly News previously reported that the KwaZulu-Natal province has begun cleaning operations as heavy rains have subsided. In the past week, areas of the province were heavily flooded, and tons of destruction was left behind by the floods.
Many people have now been left displaced as some houses collapsed due to mudslides. Many others have family members who lost their lives.
On Wednesday afternoon, 13 April, the KwaZulu-Natal government tallied the death toll at 253. However, as more rescue missions were carried out, the death toll was 306 on Wednesday night, according to TimesLIVE.
Source: Briefly News
