The Department of Water Affairs is closely monitoring the situation in the Mpumalanga Province where heavy rains have caused wide spread flooding. A team from the Department has been deployed to the affected areas and is working with the local authorities and disaster management units to bring the situation under control.
Disaster management processes have been activated with all relevant stakeholders involved, and the department will provide support as required. The levels of the Komati and Crocodile Rivers have risen substantially but have not yet broken their banks.
The Driekoppies Dam is spilling, while Maguga Dam in Swaziland along Komati River is almost 100% full. Affected communities downstream of the dams are being warned to move to safety on higher ground. Some families were evacuated by local disaster management in conjunction with other government departments.
In the Olifants River at the border with Mozambique a flood peak of approximately 4500 m^3/s (cubic meters per second) is expected late this evening or early tomorrow, 20 January 2012. An alert has already been issued to authorities in Mozambique warning of the substantial increased flow and possible flooding.
The current flow at Komati River at Komatipoort border is 1050 m^3/s (cubic meters per second). Sabie at Kruger Gate peaked at about 3300m^3/s (cubic meters per second) last night, Wednesday 18 January 2012. A water level of 7.126m high was recorded at Sabie at Lower Sabie on 2012/01/18 at 19h00 (estimated flow 6500m^3/s).
Today’s outflow at Blyderiverpoort Dam is 687m^3/s (cubic meters per second), at Inyaka Dam 103m^3/s and at Klaserie Dam 177m^3/s.
According to the South African Weather Service there is a 30% chance of showers and thunder showers for the next 24 hours. It says the situation arose as a result of Tropical Low Pressure system that developed over the Indian Ocean East of Madagascar and moved inland over the southern part of Mozambique entering South Africa on the 16th January over Maputo. The system covered the entire coastal region from Northern KZN up to the Northern areas of Limpopo Province.
Intensive rainfall was experienced over the Lowveld area of Mpumalanga and Limpopo Provinces and resulted in extraordinary floods to occur in all major rivers.
Enquiries:
Linda Page
Tel: 012 336 8250
Cell: 083 460 4482
Flooding in Mpumalanga and dam levels update
