Level 6 rain warning remains in place for eThekwini as flooding risk rises - IOL

An orange Level 6 disruptive-rain warning was issued for KZN.

Emergency teams remain on high alert across eThekwini as heavy rainfall continues to affect large parts of the metro.

The eThekwini Municipality said in a statement on Thursday that the inclement weather had already resulted in road accidents and traffic disruptions, with eThekwini Fire and Emergency Services and the Durban Metro Police Service responding to incidents across the city.

The city is currently under a Level 6 weather warning for disruptive rainfall, which remains in effect for Thursday and Friday.

"The situation is expected to deteriorate further this afternoon. In response, the municipality has activated all emergency protocols in anticipation of incidents such as localised flooding caused by the rainfall," said the municipality. 

"Heavy rainfall is expected to intensify overnight and into Friday morning. Residents in low-lying and flood-prone areas face an increased risk of flooding, infrastructure damage, road closures, service disruptions, and danger to life."

Following a Joint Operational Centre meeting convened by the Head of the eThekwini Disaster Management Centre, Vincent Ngubane, key emergency and disaster response teams remain on high alert and ready to respond to weather-related incidents.

The municipality urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel during periods of heavy rain and warned them never to attempt to cross flooded roads, bridges, rivers or streams.

Residents were also advised to stay away from low-lying and flood-prone areas and unstable embankments, keep drainage channels around homes and businesses clear, monitor official weather updates and emergency alerts, and move to higher ground if flooding threatens their area.

The municipality has appealed to people living in vulnerable and disaster-prone communities to remain vigilant and relocate to safer areas where necessary.

“Public cooperation remains critical,” the municipality said, adding that residents should not underestimate the severity of the warning as conditions could deteriorate rapidly and additional areas could be affected.

The city said it would continue monitoring the situation and provide updates through its official communication platforms.