rewrite this title Cape dams up to 70 percent capacity

DAM levels across the Western Cape have climbed sharply to more than 70 percent following woeste weer that lashed the province earlier this month.

The recent storms led to the loss of 11 lives. 

Premier Alan Winde and Western Cape Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning Minister Anton Bredell said disaster response and recovery operations remain in full swing across several hard-hit districts.

Winde and his team conducted an aerial assessment of some of the worst-hit areas on Monday.  

The province’s combined dam levels rose dramatically from 52.46 percent last week to 70.59 percent after multiple cold fronts brought torrential rain, gale-force winds, and devastating floods to large parts of the province.

Rainfall between 150mm and 200mm was recorded in mountainous regions, while wind speeds reached between 100km/h and 120km/h in certain areas.

The Cape Winelands District and parts of the West Coast were among the worst-affected regions, including Worcester, Rawsonville, Ceres, Wolseley, Citrusdal, Wuppertal, Vredendal, and Lutzville. 

Informal settlements and floodplain areas in the City of Cape Town also experienced severe flooding.

Winde said recovery efforts were progressing, although significant challenges remained.

The premier explained: “There has been good progress. But there is still a lot of work ahead. 

“All our disaster management teams and other stakeholders are working as hard as they can to reopen all roads, repair damaged infrastructure, and restore critical services.”

Electricity restoration remains one of the province’s major priorities, with Eskom teams and municipalities working to reconnect affected communities.

Humanitarian relief operations are continuing across the province, with thousands of residents receiving emergency assistance.