Drought-hit Cape Town as residents suffer floods after heavy rainfall

Heavy rain over the last 24 hours has blocked roads and disrupted traffic in South Africa’s drought-hit Cape Town, city officials said on Thursday.

The first winter downpour will slightly replenish dams dried by the region’s worst drought in a century, a dry spell that has scorched farms and hit the tourism sector.

“Give me a spade please. and then I woke up. When I woke up and opened this door the water was running like a river down here,” said Henry Adams, resident of Overcome Heights.

“When it rains the water runs in the peoples houses. The houses is wet nuh. Now we are now sick & tired, every year the same thing. The City gives a lot of money every year out just for flooding’s and that,” said Fouzia,another Overcome heights resident.

South Africa has declared a national disaster over the drought affecting the southern and western regions which had two of the driest years ever recorded in 2015 and 2016.

Cape Town authorities warned that taps in the port city of 4 million could run dry this year. But they have pushed back this worst case scenario to next year and only if winter rains fail to sufficiently boost dam levels.