While the recent rainfall has provided a glimmer of hope for Nelson Mandela Bay, the challenges posed by climate change and infrastructure vulnerabilities persist.
The torrential rain at the weekend has broken Nelson Mandela Bay’s “meteorological drought” but, with its biggest dam, the Impofu, still sitting below 20%, the city is not yet out of the woods.
Storms hitting the Eastern Cape are not yet over, with the worst still to come in several areas, the SA Weather Service has warned.Port Alfred, Cradock and Graaff-Reinet, along with areas to the west, received an orange level 9 flood warning from the weather service, while the entire Eastern Cape coast received an orange level 6 for huge waves.
As Nelson Mandela Bay residents enjoyed a brief respite on Monday from the weekend’s strong winds and heavy rain, with more downpours expected at night-time, the morning sun revealed the extent of the damage and flooding.