A flooded Centerton area in the Kouga Local Municipality.

• Residents of Kouga informal settlements were evacuated, with the municipality providing blankets, mattresses and meals in community halls.
• Multiple roads and bridges were closed due to flooding, sinkholes and rockfalls, with power outages also reported in Nelson Mandela Bay.
• Authorities have warned that flooded crossings pose a serious danger to life, with several key routes closed pending safe water level assessments.

Heavy rains battered the Eastern Cape’s Sarah Baartman District and Nelson Mandela Bay on Wednesday, forcing evacuations from flooded informal settlements and closing several roads and bridges.

Authorities urged residents to seek shelter in community halls and warned motorists to stay off flooded roads, as sinkholes, rockfalls, and dangerously high water levels posed serious risks.

On Thursday, Kouga Mayor Hattingh Bornman appealed to residents in the flooded areas to move to safer community halls.

Bornman, who visited the Oceanview informal settlement on Thursday morning, said the municipality had prepared blankets, mattresses, and meals to assist flood victims.

“Please make sure that you evacuate to our community halls,” Bornman said.

The mayor also appealed to motorists to take precautions when driving around Kouga.

“We need to make sure that we keep motorists off our roads. We have had some sinkholes and rockfalls. Our teams are working extremely hard to make sure that we get our roads clean,” said Bornman.

The Kingsway Village in the Gamtoos area, also in Kouga, was asked to evacuate on Wednesday night due to heavy rains.

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One of the roads closed on Thursday morning was a bridge on the R331 in Patensie, which was inaccessible and closed due to flooding.

The R330 route on the Humansdorp side was closed to all traffic until further notice.

The Weston Bridge also remained closed due to high water levels and unsafe crossing conditions.

“Members of the public are urged to avoid these areas and make use of alternative routes where possible. Motorists are reminded that attempting to cross flooded roads or bridges poses a significant risk to life and property,” the municipality said in a statement.

“Municipal teams are continuously monitoring the situation. Roads will only be reopened once water levels have lowered, and it is confirmed that conditions are safe for public use.

“We appeal to all road users to exercise extreme caution, adhere to all road closure signage, and follow instructions issued by emergency services and traffic officials. The safety of our residents remains our highest priority.”

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Eastern Cape Department of Transport spokesperson Unathi Binqose said the R102 between Gqeberha and Jeffreys Bay was closed to traffic due to rockfalls.

“The route serves as an important alternative and parallel route to the N2, linking Gqeberha, the Gamtoos Valley, Humansdorp and Jeffreys Bay,” he added.

Binqose said the R332 into the Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve had also been closed following heavy flooding.

In Nelson Mandela Bay, authorities urged motorists and residents to exercise caution as several roads have been affected by flooding and traffic disruptions following heavy rains on Wednesday.

The affected areas included the 3rd Avenue dip in Newton Park, which remained flooded and closed to traffic.

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Flooding also affected sections of the M4 Settlersway, behind the North End area.

“Residents are urged to avoid flooded roads and low-lying areas. Do not attempt to drive or walk through flooded crossings, as water levels can rise rapidly and pose a serious danger,” Nelson Mandela Bay municipality said on Thursday morning.

Several areas remained without power in the Nelson Mandela Bay area due to damage to infrastructure caused by the severe weather.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Cape Department of Education instructed schools in the Sarah Baartman, Nelson Mandela Bay, and Buffalo City districts to close on Wednesday and Thursday due to heavy downpours.

But some schools in areas unaffected by flooding remained open on Thursday.