Cyclone Irina remains a threat to the KwaZulu-Natal coast, police and disaster services said on Sunday.
The
weather system was likely to remain over open water between Maputo and
Richards Bay for the next 24 hours, according to the National Joint
Operational Centre.
"A combination of very rough
seas, marine storm surge, as well as gale-force winds are likely to
threaten the coastline during this time," said police spokesperson
Colonel Vishnu Naidoo.
Commercial and
recreational fishing should be alerted to this threat, he said. He said
the likelihood of further heavy rain was diminishing.
The National Joint Operational Centre is coordinating the response to the storm.
It includes police, the South African Weather Service, disaster management, the army, and government departments such as health.
Provincial structures have been established to monitor the situation on a 24-hour basis, to direct resources to affected areas.
The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal commended the provincial government for its co-ordinated response to the storm.
"The
KwaZulu-Natal government has done a sterling job by putting all systems
in place to swiftly respond to the cyclone. We have no doubt that these
measures have helped to save many lives," said ANC spokesperson Sihle
Zikalala.
"Our hearts go to all people who have
been affected by the cyclone. We have been informed that many people
have had their homes destroyed by the cyclone. We urge our people to on
the alert to prevent fatalities," Zikalala said.
The
ANC commended government for providing relief to people affected by the
cyclone, including transport for schoolchildren and food.
A
house collapsed on a woman breaking both her legs in Jozini in the
Nyawushadi area on Sunday morning, after floods hit northern
KwaZulu-Natal.
Cooperative governance
spokesperson Vernon Mchunu said emergency services were negotiating
through mud and dirt in a bid to reach Phumaphi Makhaye (56).
Mchunu
could not give figures of families that were displaced and people who
were injured as disaster teams were still quantifying the damage. He
estimated that about 300 houses had been flooded.
On
Saturday the South African Weather Service reported that tropical storm
Irina would result in heavy falls of rain over the extreme southern
parts of Mozambique, Swaziland, Mpumalanga and the east coast of South
Africa, which would create the risk of flooding.
"Very
rough seas with wave heights in excess of 4 to 6 metres are also
expected from Richards Bay to Maputo," said SA Weather services
spokesperson Hannelee Doubell.
Rescue operations were underway in various parts of the northern coastal parts of the province of KwaZulu-Natal.
"At
the moment we are hard at work assisting people whose houses have been
flooded. Moves are being made to also evacuate others to safety," said
cooperative governance provincial minister Nomusa Dube.
She said provincial government was in the process of organising temporary housing units for displaced families.
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