The N1 at Worcester has been closed until further notice, together with various passes along the escarpment, severely impacting access to and from Cape Town.
N1 closed
The Western Cape Government has strongly advised anyone currently using the N1 towards Cape Town to find a safe place to stop and sleep until a more direct route opens up.
“If N1 road users must get to Cape Town tonight, the following routes are available. All of these routes should only be travelled as a last resort, and while exercising extreme caution,” said Western Cape spokesperson Kristoff Adelbert.
“Cellular signal may be limited in rural areas, and drivers are thus advised to drive as carefully as possible.”
Severe weather
Torrential rainfall, severe thunderstorms, damaging winds, and snowfall have lashed large parts of the province, leaving communities submerged, homes and roads destroyed, and critical and essential services disrupted.
The severe storm sweeping through Cape Town and the Western Cape has left a trail of destruction, with hundreds of residents in the Breede Valley evacuated by disaster management teams.
Assessments
Meanwhile, assessments are underway in Western Cape informal settlements affected by adverse weather.
The City’s Disaster Risk Management Centre confirmed that assessments are currently underway in several areas.
“So far, teams have completed assessments in six areas, confirming that 1,655 dwellings sustained impacts, affecting just over 5 600 persons,” said City of Cape Town spokesperson Luthando Tyhalibongo.
Relief
Tyhalibongo said completed assessments will also be forwarded to SASSA and the National Department of Human Settlements.
“The Disaster Risk Management Centre is, in the interim, liaising with other relevant City Services to see what relief can be provided to residents.
“It is also important to note that assessments are continuing in many other areas, and this total will be updated as assessments are completed,” Tyhalibongo said.
Assessments continue in other locations, and the total number of affected households is expected to increase.
