Flooded Roads and Evacuation Orders, as KZN Awaits More Torrential Rains

Key points in this article:

• Newcastle’s Flood Fury Unleashed: Relentless rains have shut down major roads like Ayliff and Finnemore Streets, sparking evacuation orders as the town battles rising waters on 20 February 2025.
• KZN on Edge with Stormy Horizons: An Orange Level 5 Warning from SAWS forecasts up to 100mm of rain across towns like Newcastle, Vryheid, and eThekwini, signalling more turmoil ahead.
• Emergency Response in High Gear: Newcastle’s CPF issues evacuation orders and tracks developments, municipal teams monitor flooded zones, and KZN CoGTA’s new MOU with Santam and Al-Imdaad boosts regional disaster resilience.
• Roads Turn Treacherous Province-Wide: Authorities warn of potholes and slick surfaces, urging drivers—especially school transporters—to prioritize safety as Human Settlements crews stand by for housing crises.

Torrential rains have impacted numerous communities across KwaZulu-Natal, with Newcastle residents awakening on Thursday morning, 20 February 2025, to a landscape marred by widespread road closures triggered by flooding.

This comes as a segment of Ayliff Street has been sealed off, alongside Kirkland Street, Bridger Street, the taxi rank, and the entirety of Finnemore Street in Paradise. Umfolozi Road, widely recognised as Amcor Road, has also been barricaded, succumbing to the relentless deluge.

Moreover, the Newcastle Municipality issued a notice delineating these closures, affirming that emergency services are vigilantly monitoring affected areas to protect residents. Beyond restricting access to several roads, the Municipality has raised an urgent pothole alert, cautioning drivers to proceed with prudence amid a surge of craters carved by the incessant downpours. Motorists have been further urged to moderate their speeds and sharpen their awareness to prevent accidents or damage from these pervasive hazards.

While local emergency teams maintain a steadfast watch over Newcastle’s predicament, Siboniso Duma, MEC for Transport and Human Settlements, addressed the crisis on Thursday morning.

“We are in receipt of weather reports from the South African Weather Services indicating that we are likely to experience a prolonged rainfall in various parts of KwaZulu-Natal.” He specified that the following districts are bracing for impact:

·         uMgungundlovu

·         Amajuba

·         uThukela

·         eThekwini

·         Zululand

·         Ilembe

·         Umkhanyakude

In response, the MEC declared, “We are requesting motorists to be extra careful on the roads. We are also requesting those who are involved in school transport to always remember that they are transporting future leaders. They need to avoid speeding as roads are slippery when wet. We wish to report that a roving team from Human Settlements is also on standby to ensure quick intervention if there any destruction of houses.”

Concurrently, Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi, MEC for the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (KZN CoGTA), is spearheading an ambitious effort to bolster provincial disaster resilience.

This initiative culminates in a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with key social partners, a move KZN CoGTA hails as a transformative alliance to enhance disaster preparedness, response, and mitigation across the region.

“This MOU signifies a crucial step towards a more coordinated and effective disaster management framework in KZN. By forging partnerships with the private sector and NGOs, the Department aims to leverage their expertise in disaster response, mitigation, and resource mobilisation. This collaborative approach will ensure a swift and impactful response when disaster strikes,” KZN Cogta proclaimed in a media statement. The MOU’s signatories include prominent entities:

·         Old Mutual

·         Santam Limited

·         South African Red Cross Society

·         Al-Imdaad Foundation

As authorities implore residents to exercise extreme caution on the roads, the South African Weather Service (SAWS) maintains an Orange Level 5 Warning for disruptive rains looming over swathes of the province. Forecasts indicate that north-western KwaZulu-Natal will face widespread showers and thunderstorms from Wednesday through Thursday, with rainfall accumulations potentially reaching 100mm in northern areas, spilling along the coast and into adjacent inland zones.

The following towns are squarely in the crosshairs of this severe weather alert:

·          Newcastle

·         Utrecht

·         Nongoma

·         Vryheid

·         eDumbe

·         Pongola

·         Ulundi

·         uMfolozi

·         Mandeni

·         KwaDukuza

·         eThekwini

·         Hlabisa

·         Ndwedwe

With further inclement weather imminent and Newcastle already reeling from flood impacts, the Newcastle Community Policing Forum (CPF) has issued an urgent evacuation order.

Sandile Mdluli, the CPF’s Public Relations Officer, confirmed that directives have been dispatched for multiple streets in inundated zones, encompassing Finnemore Street and its surroundings, as well as areas near the taxi rank.

The CPF has assured residents that teams are actively deployed, closely tracking developments, and has urged compliance with emergency service instructions as evacuations commence. The Forum emphasised, “If you have an emergency, contact emergency services or the CPF Groups and we will coordinate assistance.” It has also fervently appealed to residents to avoid unnecessary travel during this perilous period.

With responders mobilised to monitor conditions and safeguard the community, what are your thoughts on this unfolding situation? Share your perspectives in the comments below.