Nearly 400 killed as flooding inflicts 'untold havoc' in South Africa
By
Renee Duff, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Apr 13, 2022 11:39 AM EDT
|
Updated Apr 15, 2022 9:29 AM EDT
Homes and roads were swept away by heavy rainwater and mudslides in South Africa on April 12. Disaster Management teams are evacuating people in affected areas.
A slow-moving weather system unleashed nearly 2 feet of rain across portions of South Africa from Saturday to Tuesday which prompted devastating flash floods, mudslides and landslides that have left nearly 400 people dead.
"I got nowhere to go now. I got no house. I got no nothing," Jomba Phiri, a resident of Durban, South Africa, said in an interview with Reuters while standing in front of his family's home which had been completely destroyed in a mudslide.
The typically bustling port city of Durban in the KwaZulu-Natal province was brought to a standstill due to flooding as images showed shipping containers strewn about by the force of the water and others stacked on top of each other.
"The Province of KwaZulu-Natal experienced what is one of the worst weather storms in the history of our country. The heavy rainfall that has descended on our land over the past few days, has wreaked untold havoc and unleashed massive damage to lives and infrastructure," a statement released by the local government said, adding that more than 240 schools were impacted by the flooding.
Officials state that the number of houses and shacks damaged or destroyed exceeds 6,000, according to France24. The news agency stated that floodwaters reached the height of traffic lights in some parts of Durban.
A weather observation site just north of Durban recorded 16 inches (407 mm) of rain from Saturday to Tuesday, local time. South of the city, mind-boggling amounts in excess of 20 inches (508 mm) fell during the timeframe.
The excessive rainfall caused huge chunks of earth to give way, sending mounds of mud, trees and other debris descending into vulnerable communities.
Communication throughout the region has been severely impacted during this critical time of search and recovery, with more than 900 cell phone towers down, BBC News reported.
Residents who live in low-lying areas are encouraged to seek higher ground if possible due to the threat of rivers rising more even though the worst of the rain has ended.
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AccuWeather Lead International Forecaster Jason Nicholls said the staggering rain amounts were a result of a storm system that crawled across the region.
This feature helped a storm develop near the southeastern coast of South Africa on Monday, local time, which rapidly strengthened into Subtropical Depression Issa on Tuesday and helped to enhance rainfall around Durban and surrounding areas, according to Nicholls.
Unfortunately, forecasters do not have a promising outlook for the region as the search for survivors continues.
"Many of the same areas could have another round of heavy rain and flooding through this weekend," Nicholls said. He added that while rainfall would likely not reach the levels of this past system, any additional rain will be problematic given the saturated and unstable nature of the ground.
For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
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News / Severe Weather
Nearly 400 killed as flooding inflicts 'untold havoc' in South Africa
By Renee Duff, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Apr 13, 2022 11:39 AM EDT | Updated Apr 15, 2022 9:29 AM EDT
Homes and roads were swept away by heavy rainwater and mudslides in South Africa on April 12. Disaster Management teams are evacuating people in affected areas.
A slow-moving weather system unleashed nearly 2 feet of rain across portions of South Africa from Saturday to Tuesday which prompted devastating flash floods, mudslides and landslides that have left nearly 400 people dead.
"I got nowhere to go now. I got no house. I got no nothing," Jomba Phiri, a resident of Durban, South Africa, said in an interview with Reuters while standing in front of his family's home which had been completely destroyed in a mudslide.
The typically bustling port city of Durban in the KwaZulu-Natal province was brought to a standstill due to flooding as images showed shipping containers strewn about by the force of the water and others stacked on top of each other.
"The Province of KwaZulu-Natal experienced what is one of the worst weather storms in the history of our country. The heavy rainfall that has descended on our land over the past few days, has wreaked untold havoc and unleashed massive damage to lives and infrastructure," a statement released by the local government said, adding that more than 240 schools were impacted by the flooding.
Officials state that the number of houses and shacks damaged or destroyed exceeds 6,000, according to France24. The news agency stated that floodwaters reached the height of traffic lights in some parts of Durban.
A weather observation site just north of Durban recorded 16 inches (407 mm) of rain from Saturday to Tuesday, local time. South of the city, mind-boggling amounts in excess of 20 inches (508 mm) fell during the timeframe.
The excessive rainfall caused huge chunks of earth to give way, sending mounds of mud, trees and other debris descending into vulnerable communities.
Communication throughout the region has been severely impacted during this critical time of search and recovery, with more than 900 cell phone towers down, BBC News reported.
Residents who live in low-lying areas are encouraged to seek higher ground if possible due to the threat of rivers rising more even though the worst of the rain has ended.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
AccuWeather Lead International Forecaster Jason Nicholls said the staggering rain amounts were a result of a storm system that crawled across the region.
This feature helped a storm develop near the southeastern coast of South Africa on Monday, local time, which rapidly strengthened into Subtropical Depression Issa on Tuesday and helped to enhance rainfall around Durban and surrounding areas, according to Nicholls.
Unfortunately, forecasters do not have a promising outlook for the region as the search for survivors continues.
"Many of the same areas could have another round of heavy rain and flooding through this weekend," Nicholls said. He added that while rainfall would likely not reach the levels of this past system, any additional rain will be problematic given the saturated and unstable nature of the ground.
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For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
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