South African Floods Lay Bare Deadly Reality of Climate Change
Repairing or rebuilding damaged infrastructure will be a priority in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province's recovery after the deadliest storm to strike the country in living memory killed over 400 people and left tens of thousands homeless. For a continent already wracked by the effects of climate change, the floods have been another chilling reminder of the destructive power of the kind of storms that will become more common in the future.
As if the damage is not enough, South Africa's flood-ravaged east was hit by more rain on April 16, 2022 following the floodwaters that engulfed parts of the southeastern coastal city of Durban, ripping apart roads, destroying hospitals and sweeping away homes and those trapped inside. South African president Cyril Ramaphosa has declared a national state of disaster to deal with the flooding, which has also affected parts of the Eastern Cape.
The World Health Organization has warned that climate change is now the single biggest health threat facing humanity, but scientists have agreed that the worst impacts can be avoided with coordinated and rapid climate action. Proposed goals include an end date to the use of coal, making new cars zero-emissions within 20 years and ending deforestation by the end of the 2020s.
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South Africa:
South Africa Flood Toll Rises to 443 As Deluge Eases
VOA, 17 April 2022
The death toll from floods that have battered South Africa's east coast has risen to 443, including a rescuer, a regional official said on Sunday, as dozens more are still missing. Read more »
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South Africa:
Weathering the Climate Crisis in Flood-Prone Durban - Tough Lessons From the 'Rain Bomb'
Daily Maverick, 18 April 2022
Improvements in housing stability are needed across the working-class areas of Durban, as well as for all structures built on vulnerable hills and near the beaches. And much more… Read more »
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South Africa:
Floods - Ramaphosa Vows Comprehensive Recovery Effort, Zero Tolerance for Corruption
Daily Maverick, 18 April 2022
There would be no room for corruption, mismanagement or fraud 'of any sort' as South Africa embarked on a long-term recovery after the devastating flooding in KwaZulu-Natal that… Read more »
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South Africa:
Cabinet Declares National State of Disaster
SAnews.gov.za, 18 April 2022
Cabinet has declared a National State of Disaster in response to floods, which have wreaked havoc in KwaZulu-Natal and parts of the Eastern Cape. Read more »
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South Africa:
Devastating KZN Floods Deal a New Blow to Recovering Economy and Businesses
Daily Maverick, 12 April 2022
Just as businesses and residents were finding their feet after July's unrest in KwaZulu-Natal, the province has been hit by heavy flooding. Read more »
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South Africa:
More Rainfall In Flood-Ravaged KwaZulu-Natal
VOA, 16 April 2022
South Africa's flood-ravaged east was hit by more rain Saturday after the deadliest storm to strike the country in living memory killed nearly 400 people and left tens of thousands… Read more »
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South Africa:
KZN Floods Declared a Provincial Disaster
SAnews.gov.za, 14 April 2022
National Disaster Management Centre head, Dr Mmaphaka Tau, has classified this week's KwaZulu-Natal floods as a provincial disaster. Read more »
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South Africa:
Death Toll Edges to Nearly 400 After Devastating KwaZulu Natal Floods
DW, 15 April 2022
Thousands have been displaced and scores are missing in what is considered to be one of the worst natural disasters on record. South Africa's weather service is warning of even… Read more »
InFocus
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The death toll from devastating floods in and around Durban in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province has risen to 306, the government said on Wednesday April 12, 2022, AFP reports.
The province continues to count the cost of the floods. Poor residents who have lost their homes are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance, the shack dwellers' movement Abahlali
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The western regions of the Eastern Cape are suffering a six-year drought and the two major dams for the province's biggest metro, Nelson Mandela Bay, are running dry with the city facing an unprecedented water crisis, Daily Maverick reports. While parts of the metro receive water from the Orange River via the Nooitgedacht Scheme there will not be a Day Zero crisis as was predicted for Cape Town but, as the Acting
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The Department of Water and Sanitation has said plans are in place for the imminent impact of Tropical Cyclone Eloise, adding that the reality unfolding is that there will be impact in the provinces of Mpumalanga and Limpopo. While Eloise will mainly affect those two provinces, the department has also reminded people within the Vaal and Orange River Systems that it is still important for everyone to be vigilant. High-risk areas have also been identified. These include Tzaneen, Blyderivierpoort,
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The South African Weather Service has advised Gauteng residents to brace themselves for more heavy rainfall. This comes after widespread flooding hit the province, with several motorists and residents in Centurion and Mamelodi left stranded.
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Mandla Buthelezi was home with his girlfriend and three children when they began hearing the roof and wall of their home collapse (April 2022).
