"Catastrophic" Rainfall Drove Floods In Durban, South Africa; At Least 306 Confirmed Dead So Far

[hatrack]

The death toll from devastating floods in and around the South African port city of Durban has risen to 306, the government said Wednesday, after roads and hillsides were washed away as homes collapsed. The heaviest rains in 60 years pummelled Durban’s municipality, eThekwini in Zulu. According to an AFP tally, the storm is the deadliest on record in South Africa.

“By the evening of 13 April, we have been informed that the death toll from the floods disaster in KZN (KwaZulu-Natal) province has risen to 306 people,” Nonala Ndlovu, spokeswoman for the provincial disaster management department, said. Her office said the death toll was “one of the darkest moments in the history” of KZN.

The South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa, has described the floods as a “catastrophe” and a “calamity”. “Bridges have collapsed. Roads have collapsed. People have died … This is a catastrophe of enormous proportions,” he said, addressing a local community after inspecting the damage from the floods.

EDIT

These rains were not tropical, but rather caused by a weather system called a cutoff low that had brought rain and cold weather to much of the country. When storms reached the warmer and more humid climate in Durban’s KZN province, even more rain poured down. “Some parts of KZN have received more than 450mm (18in) in the last 48 hours,” said Dipuo Tawana, a forecaster at the national weather service – nearly half of Durban’s annual rainfall of 1,009mm.

EDIT

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/13/south-africa-floods-deadliest-storm-on-record-kills-over-250-people

[barbaraann]

1. Climate Action Tracker gives SA an overall rating of "Insufficient."

https://climateactiontracker.org/countries/south-africa/

Perhaps this catastrophe will prompt more action.