2022 Eastern Cape floods

Last updated

2022 Eastern Cape Floods
Eastern Cape in South Africa.svg
Eastern Cape Province in South Africa
Date8 – 13 January 2022
Location Eastern Cape, South Africa
CauseHeavy rains
Deaths20 confirmed [1]
Buffalo City Municipality, Eastern Cape Province Map of South Africa with Buffalo City highlighted (2011).svg
Buffalo City Municipality, Eastern Cape Province

In early January 2022, the Eastern Cape province in South Africa experienced heavy rain and flooding following a thunderstorm that swept away homes, personal belongings and loved ones. These flash floods have left hundreds homeless, especially in township of Mdantsane which is situated on a floodplain making it more vulnerable to these types of natural disasters. [2] Scientists believe that climate change is responsible for the droughts and floods along the eastern coastline. [3] There were 20 casualties from this disaster, including a police rescue diver who, after saving three lives, got caught on a rope and drowned. [4]

Contents

Background and details of the disaster

The Eastern Cape province, located on the east coast of South Africa records on average 40mm of rain in the month of January, typical of the rainy season. However, in the Buffalo City Municipality, which is home to the city of East London and surrounding towns, notably the township of Mdantsane, situated further inland on a floodplain, recorded 58mm of rain all within 24 hours between 8–9 January 2022. [5]

Other municipalities impacted were the OR Tambo District Municipality, the Amathole District Municipality and the Alfred Duma Local Municipality. [4]

Brief history

Flash floods are not a new phenomena in the Eastern cape, however they have become more frequent in recent years. Severe floods were recorded in February 2020, [6] just before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Other notable floods occurred in December 2021, [7] typically a festive period for South Africans, which brought numerous challenges, worsened by the global pandemic and more frequent flooding disasters.

Before the January 2022 floods, Buffalo City Municipality experienced a period of long-term drought that had hit the Eastern Cape province which lead to the implementation of strict water-use regulations. [8] These torrential rains were both a blessing and curse, as they brought in a much needed water supply, however the strong current ravaged through the township, leaving nothing but disaster behind.

Details

The storm arrived without warning. The response from the cities and weather services was not quick enough to warn the citizens, primarily due to the lack of preventative measures in place ahead of these disastrous floods. Carte Blanche covered the story, which aired on 16 January 2022 on M-net. [9] Extensive coverage depicted the devastation of the floods on the people of Mdantsane. Images of pollution and rubbish around the township were displayed, as well as images of destroyed homes, crops, roads, bridges and other infrastructure. [10]

Typical shack in Aliwal North, Eastern Cape. A township north of Mdantsane. Aliwal North - Dukatole - 03.05 - Shack.jpg
Typical shack in Aliwal North, Eastern Cape. A township north of Mdantsane.

The surrounding informal settlements didn't stand a chance against the natural disasters due to the poor infrastructure of these homes. These homes, also known as shacks, which are built from iron, tin and any materials found, do not have the structural support to protect its inhabitants. Amid this flooding disaster, an already struggling population was forced into survival mode as they tried to rebuild their lives and communities. Gift of the givers, a known charitable organisation in South Africa was on the scene helping to distribute food parcels, blankets and other basic necessities, however the municipality and government were called upon to help rebuild the destroyed towns and its surrounding areas, as well as to provide support for the citizens and survivors of this disaster. [11]

Local response

According to Met Office scientist Nikos Christidi, extreme weather events are "growing so prevalent that they will no longer be extreme events by the end of the century." He also highlighted that the threats from climate change are rising quickly. Global ecosystems, public health, transportation, infrastructure, education, and other areas are all severely impacted by climate disasters. More than 11,000 natural disasters have been documented worldwide in the last 50 years, resulting in 2 million fatalities and $3.64 trillion in material damage, according to the World Meteorological Organization. "Climate disasters are becoming more frequent, raising the possibility of decreased food production, poverty, hunger, and heightened danger of unrest and conflict in some countries." said Petrie Taalas, secretary general of the World Meteorological Organization. [12]

In response to the disaster, South Africa's environment departments developed a response plan to address the weather disasters brought on by climate change and to assist the victims in recovering more quickly. [2] The floods left a number of people dead, hundreds of people homeless, and many homes damaged. Additionally, the city administration established contact with officials at the Nahoon Dam to update the flood warning system and take action, and the local government collaborated with them on forecasts, alerts, and warnings. [4]

On the humanitarian front, companies supported flood victims by giving them goods and warmth, while non-profit organizations were highly productive in delivering resources like food, blankets, and mattresses. [13] The government made an official request for aide from different organizations and other people. A social relief programme team was swiftly established by the government as part of the relief effort. This team collaborated with various government departments and expressed heartfelt gratitude to the organizations that have already donated. These efforts hoped to inspire additional organizations to do the same. [10]

Morbidity and Mortality

Mortality

Initial reports have indicated that there were only 14 casualties as a result of these flash floods. [4] However, an updated death toll on January 15 confirmed an increase in the number of casualties to 20 individuals. Eight casualties were found in Buffalo City Municipality, another eight in OR Tambo District Municipality, three in Amathole District Municipality and one in Alfred Duma Local Municipality. [14] The Buffalo City Municipality was the only one of the four areas in Eastern Cape province who have disclosed more detailed information about their casualties. Notably, two children drowned in the Buffalo River and a police officer drowned in Horseshoe Valley Nahoon River. He was a member of the search and rescue team following this disaster. [15]

Morbidity

While these January flash floods have yielded a fairly low mortality compared to other flooding disasters in South Africa, the associated morbidity with extensive flooding is well defined. The short-term morbidity is caused by drowning injuries, illnesses and internal displacement. [16] One person in Buffalo City Municipality was treated at the hospital for drowning related injuries [15] and 34 others were displaced due to habitat destruction. The displaced individuals were temporarily given shelter in the NU.7 Community of the town Mdantsane. [13]

Other flood-related morbidities include loss of health infrastructure, increased incidence of poor mental health and decreased access to food supplies among survivors. [16] The OR Tambo District Municipality had to temporarily close the Mqanduli Community Health Centre due to damage from the flooding. [4] The Buffalo City Municipality reported that one person was brought into the hospital and treated for post-traumatic stress disorder related to the floods. [15] Detailed reports describing the full impact of these floods on food security have not been published; however, Vodacom, an South African mobile operator company, has distributed food parcels which provided essential relief to the 34 survivors of the flood in Buffalo City Municipality. A Mdantsane resident spoke of the donation, “We are very grateful… with the essentials [Vodacom] has provided for us.” [13]

Ecological and physical impact

Ecological

There are no detailed data and no definitive environmental reports related to this flooding. But according to some articles, [17] flooding can cause the following consequences:

Physical

Flooding hit infrastructure hardest, especially roads and water treatment plant. According to a report released by the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality on January 12, after an assessment by the disaster center and the fire brigade, it was found that the road was blocked by debris and a large amount of rainwater had accumulated. The most affected roads were the Qumza Highway in Mdantsane, Woolwash Road near the Scenery Park bridge and the Douglas Smith Highway in Duncan Village.Some bridges, in particular the Zone 15 road bridge, were damaged and required assessments. [15]

The flooding also had a negative impact on local water infrastructure, with raw water from Bridle Drift Dam to the Umzonyana water treatment plant negatively affected by flash floods, resulting in limited water use for residents. [18] As of February 1, the water quality had improved and returned within safe drinking standards. But the amount of water that is safe to drink remains an issue that needs to be further addressed. [19] Finally, floods are considered by scholars to have the worst impact on the poor [20] and pose a serious threat to the insurance industry while causing huge economic losses. [21]

Short and long-term consequences

Short-term

Urban floods mostly afflict the informal settlements of African cities, which are characterised by subpar housing and infrastructure. [22] The flash floods in parts of the Eastern Cape displaced hundreds of people. Infrastructure was severely damaged, including 49 health facilities and 57 schools. [23] Bridges were destroyed, access to pipelines was blocked, rivers washed away their banks and some main roads were flooded, making access to stranded communities even more difficult. [5] Environmental health services and infrastructure were damaged or disrupted, and the risk of waterborne and food-borne infections increased. Overcrowding and population displacement are ideal environments for outbreaks of respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases. Residents who suffer from chronic illnesses may not have received the care they needed or taken their medication on time. [24] As the floodwaters receded, disease-carrying insects proliferated. Scientists have predicted the imminent emergence of highly contagious animal diseases. [25]

Long-term

With global climate change and increased urbanisation, heavy rainfall events are expected to occur more frequently and with greater intensity in the future, [26] and urban flooding is more likely to occur. [22] Catastrophic flooding is often accompanied by water-borne diseases, including cholera, diarrhoea, typhoid, hepatitis and gastroenteritis. [27] The trauma in the hearts of survivors who have lost a loved one can be difficult to recover from in a short time, producing anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, and can exacerbate physical illness. [28] Impacts such as the loss of crops, housing and other infrastructure also often translate into long-term problems such as malnutrition, poor maternal and child health care, and contamination of water sources with E. coli, further exacerbating the spread of infectious diseases. [22]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East London, South Africa</span> City in Eastern Cape, South Africa

East London is a city on the southeastern coast of South Africa, in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, Eastern Cape Province. The city lies on the Indian Ocean coast, largely between the Buffalo River and the Nahoon River, and hosts the country's only river port. As of 2011, East London had a population of over 267,000 with over 755,000 in the surrounding metropolitan area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Municipalities of South Africa</span> Local government structure in South Africa

Local government in South Africa consists of municipalities of various types. The largest metropolitan areas are governed by metropolitan municipalities, while the rest of the country is divided into counties called district municipalities, each of which consists of several boroughs called local municipalities. Since the boundary reform at the time of the municipal election of 3 August 2016 there are eight metropolitan municipalities, 44 district municipalities and 205 local municipalities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality</span> Metropolitan municipality in Eastern Cape, South Africa

Buffalo City is a metropolitan municipality situated on the east coast of Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. It includes the towns of East London, Bhisho and Qonce, as well as the large townships of Mdantsane and Zwelitsha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deep Depression ARB 02 (2008)</span> North Indian cyclone in 2008

Deep Depression ARB 02 was a weak tropical cyclone that caused extensive damage and loss of life in Yemen in October 2008. The sixth tropical cyclone and third deep depression of the 2008 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, ARB 02 formed on October 19 off the west coast of India from the same broader system that spawned a tropical storm in the southern Indian Ocean at the same time. Moving generally westward, the depression failed to intensify much, reaching maximum sustained winds of only 55 km/h (35 mph). It was no longer classifiable as a tropical depression by October 23, and later that day, its remnants made landfall near Ash Shihr in eastern Yemen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tropical Storm Domoina</span> South-West Indian tropical storm in 1984

Severe Tropical Storm Domoina in 1984 caused 100-year floods in South Africa and record rainfall in Swaziland. The fourth named storm of the season, Domoina developed on January 16 off the northeast coast of Madagascar. With a ridge to the north, the storm tracked generally westward and later southwestward. On January 21, Domoina struck eastern Madagascar, the third storm in six weeks to affect the nation; collectively, the storms caused 242 deaths and $25 million in damage (1984 USD). After crossing the country, Domoina strengthened in the Mozambique Channel to peak 10-minute sustained winds of 95 km/h (60 mph). On January 28, the storm made landfall in southern Mozambique, and slowly weakened over land. Domoina crossed into Swaziland and later eastern South Africa before dissipating on February 2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Sierra Leone mudslides</span> Mudslide disaster in Freetown, Sierra Leone

On the morning of August 14, 2017, significant mudflow events occurred in and around the capital city of Freetown in Sierra Leone. Following three days of torrential rainfall, mass wasting of mud and debris damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings in the city, killing 1,141 people and leaving more than 3,000 homeless.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tropical Depression Nineteen-E (2018)</span> Pacific tropical depression in 2018

Tropical Depression Nineteen-E was a weak yet costly tropical cyclone that caused significant flooding throughout Northwestern Mexico and several states within the United States in September 2018. The storm was also the first known tropical cyclone to form over the Gulf of California. Nineteen-E originated from a tropical wave that left the west coast of Africa on August 29 to 30. It continued westward, crossed over Central America, and entered the northeastern Pacific Ocean by September 7. It then meandered to the southwest of Mexico for the next several days as it interacted with a mid-to-upper level trough. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) continued to track the disturbance for the next several days as it traveled northward. A surface trough developed over the Baja California peninsula on September 18. Despite disorganization and having close proximity to land, the disturbance developed into a tropical depression in the Gulf of California on September 19, after having developed a circulation center and more concentrated convection. The system peaked with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 1002 mbar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tropical cyclones in Southern Africa</span> Storms affecting Tanzania, Mozambique, and South Africa

At least 30 tropical cyclones have affected the Southern African mainland. Three southeastern African countries border the Indian Ocean – Tanzania, Mozambique, and South Africa. Other inland countries also experience the effects of tropical cyclones, including Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The 2020 East Africa floods were a natural disaster in Rwanda, Kenya, Somalia, Burundi, Ethiopia, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti and Tanzania, affecting at least 700,000 people. They began when excessive rains began falling in March, leading to massive flooding and landslides. They caused more than 430 deaths, notably in Kenya and Rwanda. In the fall another round of floods hit the African Sahel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Assam floods</span>

2020 Assam floods refers to the significant flood event of the Brahmaputra River in the Indian north-eastern state of Assam and coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic. Initial flooding started in May 2020 due to heavy rainfall affecting 30,000 and destroying crops across 5 districts. As of October 2020 the floods affected over five million people, claiming the lives of 123 people, with an additional 26 deaths due to landslides, 5474 villages were affected and over one hundred and fifty thousand people found refuge in relief camps.

The 2020 Yemen flood was a flash flood that killed at least 172 people in Yemen and damaged homes and UNESCO-listed world heritage sites across the country, officials said.

A series of flash floods occurred in Afghanistan beginning in June 2020, with the largest and most impactful flood occurring on 26 August 2020. They were caused by torrential rain in Charikar, Parwan Province. The August floods killed at least 179 people and injured 212 others, and destroyed hundreds of houses. The Ministry of Disaster Management has also reported some casualties and destruction of infrastructure in the provinces of Kapisa, Maidan Wardak, Nangarhar, Panjshir, and Paktia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyclone Eloise</span> South-West Indian Ocean cyclone in 2021

Tropical Cyclone Eloise was the strongest tropical cyclone to impact the country of Mozambique since Cyclone Kenneth in 2019 and the second of three consecutive tropical cyclones to impact Mozambique in the 2020–21 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season. The seventh tropical depression, fifth named storm and the second tropical cyclone of the season, Eloise's origins can be traced to a disturbance over the central portion of the South-West Indian Ocean basin which developed into a tropical depression on 16 January, and strengthened into a tropical storm on 17 January, though the storm had limited strength and organization. On the next day, the storm entered a more favorable environment, and it soon intensified to a severe tropical storm on 18 January. Late on 19 January, Eloise made landfall in northern Madagascar as a moderate tropical storm, bringing with it heavy rainfall and flooding. The storm traversed Madagascar and entered the Mozambique Channel in the early hours of 21 January. After moving southwestward across the Mozambique Channel for an additional 2 days, Eloise strengthened into a Category 1-equivalent cyclone, due to low wind shear and high sea surface temperatures. Early on 23 January, Eloise peaked as a Category 2-equivalent tropical cyclone on the Saffir–Simpson scale as the center of the storm began to move ashore in Mozambique. Shortly afterward, Eloise made landfall just north of Beira, Mozambique, before rapidly weakening. Subsequently, Eloise weakened into a remnant low over land on 25 January, dissipating soon afterward.

The 2019–2020 Congo River floods resulted from torrential rains from October 2019 to January 2020 that caused the overflow of the Congo and Ubangi rivers, floods and landslides throughout the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Republic of Congo (RoC) and led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Niger floods</span> Flooding in Niger

In 2021, Niger has been affected by subsequent floods due to heavy rains, causing several deaths and widespread damage nationwide. Niamey is the most affected area. At least 62 people died, 60 were injured and 105,690 individuals have been affected by the floods. Most fatalities were reported in Maradi Region with 18 deaths.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Africa floods</span>

Throughout 2022, floods affected most of Africa, killing over 2,100 people. The worst affected country was Nigeria, with over 610 deaths.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 KwaZulu-Natal floods</span> April 2022 flooding in South Africa

In April 2022, days of heavy rain across KwaZulu-Natal in southeastern South Africa led to deadly floods. Particularly hard-hit were areas in and around Durban. At least 435 people died across the province, with an unknown number of people missing as of April 22. Several thousand homes were damaged or destroyed. Critical infrastructure, including major roads, transportation, communication, and electrical systems, were also impacted by the flooding, and this damage greatly hampered recovery and relief efforts. It is one of the deadliest disasters in the country in the 21st century, and the deadliest storm since the 1987 floods. The floods have caused more than R17 billion in infrastructure damage. A national state of disaster was declared.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 South Asian floods</span>

From January to October 2022, excessive rainfall and widespread monsoon flooding occurred in the South Asian countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. It has become the region's deadliest floods since 2020, with over 3,700 people dead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 South Africa floods</span>

The floods in South Africa in February-March 2023 were caused by heavy rainfall as a result of the La Niña weather phenomenon, affecting seven provinces, including Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, and North West. The floods have caused casualties and damage to homes, businesses, basic infrastructure, roads, bridges and affected crops and livestock.

References

  1. ↑ "EC officials concerned with loss of lives, infrastructure damage due to floods". Eyewitness News . 21 October 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Floods kill 10, leave hundreds homeless in South African city". Reuters . 11 January 2022. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  3. ↑ "Hundreds left homeless as floods sweep eastern South Africa". TRT World. 10 January 2022. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Eastern Cape officials still counting losses after floods kill 14 and displace hundreds". The Daily Maverick. 12 January 2022. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  5. 1 2 "South Africa – Deadly Floods Hit Eastern Cape". floodlist.com. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  6. ↑ "South Africa – Heavy Rain Triggers Flash Floods in Eastern Cape". floodlist.com. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  7. ↑ "South Africa: Severe Thunderstorms - Dec 2021". reliefweb.int. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  8. ↑ "Buffalo City Metro concerned as damn levels continue to drop". SABC News - Breaking news, special reports, world, business, sport coverage of all South African current events. Africa's news leader. 13 September 2021. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  9. ↑ Eastern Cape floods | Carte Blanche , retrieved 29 October 2022
  10. 1 2 Producer, Weekend News (9 January 2022). "Watch: Seven killed in Eastern Cape floods, hundreds affected". The South African. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  11. ↑ Vivier, Tyler Leigh (10 January 2022). "Gift of the Givers Assist East London Flood Victims". Good Things Guy. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  12. ↑ von Hertzen, Leena; Beutler, Bruce; Bienenstock, John; Blaser, Martin; Cani, Patrice D.; Eriksson, Johan; Färkkilä, Martti; Haahtela, Tari; Hanski, Ilkka; Jenmalm, Maria C.; Kere, Juha; Knip, Mikael; Kontula, Kimmo; Koskenvuo, Markku; Ling, Charlotte (3 April 2015). "Helsinki alert of biodiversity and health". Annals of Medicine. 47 (3): 218–225. doi:10.3109/07853890.2015.1010226. ISSN   0785-3890. PMID   25904094. S2CID   28748480.
  13. 1 2 3 "Vodacom Helps Flood Victims". Buffalo City Municipality. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  14. ↑ "EC officials concerned with loss of lives, infrastructure damage due to floods". Eyewitness News. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  15. 1 2 3 4 "Buffalo City Metro Establishes Disaster Operations Center, Welcomes Interventions From National, Provincal [sic] & NGOs". www.buffalocity.gov.za. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  16. 1 2 Du, Weiwei; FitzGerald, Gerard Joseph; Clark, Michele; Hou, Xiang-Yu (May 2010). "Health impacts of floods". Prehospital and Disaster Medicine. 25 (3): 265–272. doi:10.1017/s1049023x00008141. ISSN   1049-023X. PMID   20586021. S2CID   6702725.
  17. ↑ "How does flooding affect humans and the environment?". Internet Geography. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  18. ↑ "Executive Mayors Message to Residents Regarding Water". www.buffalocity.gov.za. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  19. ↑ "Buffalo City Resolves Water Issues". www.buffalocity.gov.za. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  20. ↑ Tiepolo, Maurizio (7 September 2016). Planning to cope with tropical and subtropical climate change. doi:10.1515/9783110480795. ISBN   9783110480795.
  21. ↑ Nhamo, Godwell; Chapungu, Lazarus, eds. (2021). "The Increasing Risk of Floods and Tornadoes in Southern Africa". Sustainable Development Goals Series. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-74192-1. ISBN   978-3-030-74191-4. ISSN   2523-3084. S2CID   236901367.
  22. 1 2 3 "Ecosystem-based flood management: A comparative study report of the cities of Cape Town and Durban (South Africa), Nairobi and Mombasa (Kenya)". www.preventionweb.net. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  23. ↑ Ngcukana, Lubabalo. "Eastern Cape works to declare state of disaster following deadly floods". Citypress. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  24. ↑ Chetty, Reeshni Chaslyn (28 April 2022). "Eastern Cape floods: Health facilities damaged, over 1 000 left homeless". The South African. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  25. ↑ "Deadly diseases: South Africa's sickly livestock".
  26. ↑ "Climate change - exacerbated rainfall causing devastating flooding in Eastern South Africa". www.preventionweb.net. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  27. ↑ "This is how flooding can impact our health". Wellcome. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  28. ↑ "Gift of the Givers Intervenes in Flood Affected East London :: Champion Page". Backabuddy. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.