260mm of rain was reported in flood-ravaged Umdloti, setting a new record

This past weekend, flood-ravaged Umdloti in Tongaat, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) received a record 260mm of rain.

Heavy rain hit KZN again, prompting the South African Weather Service (SAWS) to raise its disruptive rain warning to a red level 10. Both Saturday and Sunday were under the watch.

RECORD RAINFALL RECORDED IN UMDLOTI

Several people in Umdloti, north of Durban, have been displaced. A section of a block of flats in a nearby complex washed away. The ground collapsed around and under the buildings due to heavy rain and mudslides.

Aerial footage of the extent of the destruction to people’s houses and infrastructure in Umdloti has gone viral on the internet.

According to the KZN Provincial Government, a record 260mm of rain fell in Umdloti, one of the province’s hardest impacted locations.

On Monday, KZN Premier, Sihle Zikalala together with eThekwini Mayor, Mxolisi Kaunda and other stakeholders visited Umdloti, Westbrook and other affected areas to assess the damage caused by the floods. 

ZIKALALA CAUGHT UP IN PROVINCIAL FLOODS

A special operation was carried out in the KZN Premier’s suburb of La Mercy, forcing dozens of families and homeowners to seek shelter elsewhere. On this occasion, Sihle Zikalala and his family were humbled by the elements.

Taking to his social media pages, Zikalala recounted how he was told to evacuate from his property on Sunday morning. Him and his three children left at dawn, following a safe route out of danger. The KZN Premier was thankful to the emergency responders who assisted his family.

“Yesterday I worked till late midnight coordinating evacuation of people in danger of floods. Then later at dawn I found out that I, myself had to be evacuated as all roads around had been washed away.”

“We have been befallen without expectation. Thanks to Guma, Mathe and the teams. I also drove myself out with my three boys Ntobeko, Awande and Sandiswa. We thank everyone for their support.”

Sihle Zikalala