A cool R1.8 million has put smiles on the faces of hundreds of people in the Overberg district of the Western Cape.

The amount handed over yesterday was added to R1.54m paid out earlier by the Department of Social Services and Poverty Alleviation in the Western Cape to 770 victims of floods that caused chaos and led to losses in the area on the night of March 23, 2003.

The areas that benefited were around Montagu, Robertson and Swellendam.

Today the department is set to be welcomed by another 932 victims of the same floods who reside in Zolani, Cogmanskloof and the surrounding farming areas.

These areas were excluded from previous relief efforts although their houses were also damaged.

Social services MEC Marius Fransman said most poor families in these areas were left with almost nothing and needed assistance from the government.

"My department worked around the clock with the local municipality providing victims of the floods with blankets, clothes and food." The families will get R2 000 each.