Authorities have declared a state of national disaster in South Africa after torrential rainfall claimed the lives of at least 12 people throughout four of the country’s provinces.
Over the past five days, over 12 inches (310 mm) of rainfall has been reported in some impacted provinces. The average rainfall in February for the country is around 4 inches. The hardest-hit of all provinces thus far has been Mpumalanga, in the northeastern part of the country. Mpumalanga (Zulu name for “the place where the sun rises”) is a province in eastern South Africa, bordering the nations of Swaziland and Mozambique, and is home to Kruger National Park, one of Africa’s largest game reserves.
“The government has declared a state of national disaster to enable a sustained and coordinated response to the impact of the floods,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a statement.
In Limpopo, a Northern province bordering Zimbabwe, roads, bridges and a local hospital suffered extreme damage. Cars were also washed away in the devastating floods.
“Farmers have suffered crop and livestock losses,” the president’s office said in a statement. The bad weather will require the provision of “temporary shelter, food and blankets to people who have lost their homes, as well as costly and large-scale rehabilitation of infrastructure.”
The National Weather Centre anticipates “persistent and heavy” rains ahead, with the risk of flooding due to “waterlogged soils and saturated rivers.”
Last year, South Africa was hit by its worst floods in living memory, killing more than 400 people in the city of Durban alone. More than 12,000 houses were destroyed and estimated 40,000 people were forced to flee their homes.
