On Monday, an evacuation of guests and staff was under way after the parking lot and reception area at Centurion Lake Hotel became flooded following heavy rainfall in the province last week.
Tshwane Emergency Medical Services (EMS) spokesperson Charles Mabaso earlier told News24 that guests and staff at the hotel were safe and had been moved to the upper floors of the building. He later confirmed an evacuation was under way, although not ordered by the City.
“Our incident commander is locating who ordered the evacuation, but I can confirm it. Our (City EMS) stance is that people inside the hotel are safe because they are on higher ground in the four-story building,” he said.
SuperSport Park area has also been affected by the heavy rains.
Mabaso said three people from a nearby informal settlement were rescued after they became trapped in the flood waters.
“In Nellmapius Road, two people were rescued after they were trapped inside their vehicle they were travelling in, while on Jan Smuts [Avenue] , three children and two adults were also rescued.”
Motorists in the city have also been affected and have had to change routes due flooded roads and low-water bridges.
The City of Tshwane says the roads are not safe to drive in and has pleaded with residents to only drive if necessary, or otherwise remain indoors.
Gauteng Acting MEC for Social Development Panyaza Lesufi is expected to head to Ward 28 in Mamelodi on Monday afternoon where residents have also been affected by flooding. Hundreds of shacks in the area are covered in water.
Lesufi said he would provide social development support to the affected residents.
Mabaso said rescue teams were also on scene at the Eerste Fabrieken informal settlement in Mamelodi where residents are standing on their roofs.
Residents will be evacuated to the Mamelodi community hall while the disaster management team works with other stakeholders to find alternative shelter.
In Johannesburg, EMS spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi says there were no major flooded areas where they had to evacuate people, although they were monitoring rivers in Midrand, Alexandra and Soweto.
“We have not evacuated any people due to the weather conditions at this stage. We are monitoring the situation,” Mulaudzi said.
The South African Weather Service tweeted on Monday that more rain was expected in the province later on Monday afternoon and into the evening.
ER24 offered the following tips for someone caught in a flood:
Ensure that you are not in the open or near any large trees or high-rise structures that might be struck by lightning.
Keep a longer than normal following distance on the roads and ensure that you decrease speed.If you feel that you cannot continue your journey, stop at the nearest filling station or a covered area.
Avoid stopping on the side of highways or under bridges.
If trapped in your vehicle during a flash flood, rather attempt to abandon your vehicle and try get to higher ground.
If flooding occurs at your home, ensure that all your electrical devices are switched off at the main distribution board.
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