HIBISCUS Coast protection serv­ices head, Victor Chetty, was still frantically juggling telephones

Late yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon, as heartbreaking flood reports continued to pour in. During the previous 24 hours, some 200mm of rain had drenched the South Coast. The whole area was in the grip of one of its biggest flood disasters in living memory.

And the rain was still bucketing down! "We've already had four confirmed fatalities and we are expecting this figure to climb. Some 200 people have been evacuated from Hibiscus Coast homes and right this minute, as we talk, rescues are taking place," he said.

The South Coast had been given an emergency rating. As it was still raining heavily, it was not unlikely that the region would be upgraded to the next level, a fully-fledged disaster area, before too long, he added. Mr Chetty, who is serving as coordina­tor for the Ugu District's flood emergency operations, was speaking from the control room at the Disaster Management Centre in Port Shepstone.  

He said the drama had begun at about 11.30pm on Tuesday. Emergency services personnel had been called out to assist residents of Ifafa, where 150 homes had been flooded. Many of the victims were rescued from the roofs of their homes.

Realising that an emergency situation was in the making, the Ugu District had im­mediately implemented its disaster management plan, alerting all rescue personnel.

Since then, members of Hibiscus Coast and Umdoni Municipality protection serv­ices and allied departments, the police, including the SAPS Search and Rescue Unit, Am­bulance and Emergency Serv­ices, Ubuntu and Lifeguards Africa lifeguard services and National Sea Rescue personnel had worked round the clock, performing rescues and evacu­ations, he said.

By yesterday (Wednesday), afternoon, a nine-year-old child had drowned in Louisiana and a 14-year-old had died in Hibber­dene. Five adults had been washed away in the Boybhoyi area. The bodies of two of these victims had been recovered, but police were still searching for the other three.

Rescuers were hampered by difficult conditions and many suspected the death toll would be found to be much higher in the rural areas, once the flood waters receded.

Early yesterday morning, police helicopters arrived to assist with the rescue opera­tion. Because of the adverse weather, however, they were not used. Instead, Pretoria was contacted and, by yesterday afternoon, the South African Air Force's 15th Squadron was on standby.

The high waters peaked early yesterday morning, flooding homes and businesses through­out the South Coast. Residents of outlying areas were hardest hit, but no town on the South Coast was unaffected. Flood vic­tims who have lost their homes have been taken to community halls, civic centres and the Ugu market premises. Red Cross and other non-government organi­sations are trying to provide all victims with food, blankets and warm clothing.

South Coast residents who were lucky not to be flooded during the night, woke up amazed at their storm-lashed surroundings.

Rivers had become raging torrents, many of them break­ing their banks and flooding surrounding areas. Roads were closed and many low level bridg­es were metres under water.

By yesterday afternoon, nine low-lying bridges along the' P200 to Gamalakhe were still flooded. The Mbango River bridge was closed for most of yesterday, but opened later in the afternoon.