Western Cape Premier Alan Winde meets emergency and municipal officials during a disaster assessment following severe storms in the Western Cape. (Photo: Western Cape Government)

The Western Cape government announced on Thursday that electricity had been restored to most communities hit by severe flooding earlier this month, as repair crews raced to reopen roads, restore bridges and reconnect isolated farming areas.

The storms, which began in early May and dumped several days of heavy rain, caused widespread flooding that damaged infrastructure, disrupted transport routes and left thousands of residents without power.

Western Cape Premier Alan Winde said Eskom had restored electricity to about 84 per cent of affected areas. 

“The scale of the devastation is immense,” Winde said after completing a four-day assessment tour of the Cape Winelands, West Coast, and surrounding areas hardest hit by the flooding. “Despite this, our officials are hard at work repairing damaged infrastructure as quickly as possible.”

Western Cape Premier Alan Winde and provincial officials engage with local stakeholders during a storm damage assessment in affected communities across the province. (Photo: Western Cape Government)

Recovery is slower in remote areas. According to provincial officials, some farming communities could remain without electricity until June or early July because of extensive damage to power lines. 

“We fully appreciate and understand the frustrations of residents who have had to endure extended periods of power outages,” Winde stressed.

To speed repairs, disaster management teams and road crews have been deployed across the province to repair infrastructure and clear debris. Western Cape Infrastructure Minister Tertuis Simmers added that work was underway on McGregor Bridge and Klawer Bridge in the Cape Winelands after both were damaged by floodwater.

Several roads remained partially closed or restricted on 28 May as engineers continued to assess structural damage and stabilise affected areas, officials said.

The flooding has also revived debate over climate change and disaster preparedness. Anton Bredell, the provincial minister for local government, environmental affairs and development planning, said the severity and frequency of recent storms reflect warnings from climate scientists. 

“While severe winter weather has always formed part of our regional climate, the growing intensity and frequency of these events are increasingly consistent with the global scientific consensus on climate change,” explained Bredell.

Western Cape Premier Alan Winde speaks with residents and disaster response teams during a provincial assessment of storm-affected areas in the Western Cape. (Photo: Western Cape Government)

Rebuilding will require coordination across all levels of government, Western Cape Finance Minister Deidré Baartman detailed. “The extent of the damage to infrastructure and communities is significant,” he added. 

Officials also praised emergency workers, health care staff, schools, volunteers, and local organisations that helped residents during the severe weather.

The Western Cape experiences winter storms annually, but environmental experts say climate-related events are becoming more frequent and unpredictable across southern Africa.