Fire and Rescue International Newsletter

Western Cape Province deals with severe weather; National Disaster classified

The May 2026 flood disasters in the Western Cape represented one of the province’s most severe early-winter hydrometeorological emergencies in recent years. Beginning 4 May 2026 and intensifying between 10 to 14 May 2026, a sequence of cut-off low pressure systems brought extreme rainfall, gale-force winds, localised snowfall, river flooding, coastal storm surge conditions and widespread infrastructure disruption across much of the province.

The disaster affected metropolitan and district municipalities differently depending on geography, drainage infrastructure, settlement density and river catchment conditions. Informal settlements, low-lying floodplains and transport corridors experienced the greatest damage. National Government subsequently classified the event as a National Disaster, enabling emergency funding and intergovernmental coordination.

Meteorological and hydrological context
The flooding resulted from two successive cold fronts linked to a deep cut-off low system over southern Africa. Rainfall accumulations exceeded 200mm in several parts of the province, with mountainous regions recording close to 300mm. Strong winds exceeding 97km/h amplified infrastructure damage and complicated emergency operations.

Hydrological impacts included:
• Rapid urban flooding in the Cape Metro
• Overflow of stormwater systems
• Breede River catchment flooding
• Mudslides and slope failures
• Road embankment erosion
• Bridge overtopping
• Damage to electrical and telecommunications infrastructure

The disaster disproportionately affected vulnerable communities living in informal settlements and flood-prone lowlands.

Provincial authorities confirmed at least 10 fatalities linked to the severe weather system. More than 85 000 residents were affected in the Cape Town metropolitan area alone, while thousands more were displaced across district municipalities.

Major operational impacts included:
• Closure of schools across parts of the province
• Temporary shutdown of sections of Table Mountain
• Extensive road closures
• Disruption to rail and freight logistics
• Emergency shelter activation in community halls
• Large-scale humanitarian relief deployment

The Western Cape Government, municipal disaster management centres, SAPS, EMS, NGOs and humanitarian organisations coordinated response activities under a unified disaster management structure.

Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality
Cape Town was the hardest-hit municipality in the province. Flooding affected at least 26 informal settlements, with more than 10,000 structures damaged. The most severely impacted areas included: Khayelitsha, Philippi, Langa, Overcome Heights, Vygieskraal, Pelican Park, Mfuleni, Lwandle and Dunoon. The City reported approximately 85 512 people affected across 22 146 homes.

The municipal Disaster Risk Management Centre activated emergency coordination protocols. The National Sea Rescue Institute conducted rooftop evacuations using inflatable rescue craft and ladders. Humanitarian support was supplemented by organisations including the Gift of the Givers, The Salvation Army and the Mustadafin Foundation.

Cape Winelands District Municipality
The Cape Winelands experienced severe riverine flooding, road washaways and agricultural disruption. Transport corridors near Worcester were significantly affected, including closures along portions of the N1 due to flooding and unsafe driving conditions. Municipal areas affected included Worcester, Stellenbosch, Drakenstein and Breede Valley. Provincial road authorities worked continuously to restore mobility and freight access.

Overberg District Municipality
The Overberg region experienced major hydrological pressure from the Breede River system. The town of Swellendam faced downstream flood risk after river flow volumes reached approximately 1,655m³/s. Emergency coordination focused on minimizing secondary flooding downstream of swollen river systems.

Garden Route District Municipality
The Garden Route experienced severe infrastructure stress due to prolonged rainfall and slope instability. Municipalities affected included George, Knysna, Bitou and Mossel Bay. Sections of the N2 near Bitou required emergency repairs. The region had already experienced flooding earlier in May, compounding soil saturation and increasing runoff intensity. Heavy machinery was deployed continuously to clear debris and stabilize damaged transport routes.

West Coast District Municipality
The West Coast region experienced coastal storm impacts, wind damage and localised flooding. Wind damage was particularly severe in exposed settlements and coastal infrastructure corridors. Provincial authorities coordinated support through local Joint Operations Centres (JOCs).

Central Karoo District Municipality
Although less severely affected than the coastal municipalities, the Central Karoo experienced flooded gravel roads, stormwater overflow, rural access disruption and localised infrastructure damage. Transport disruptions affected supply chains and emergency access to remote communities.

The floods caused widespread transportation disruption throughout the province. Provincial infrastructure authorities reported multiple temporary road closures, particularly in mountainous and river-crossing areas. Road maintenance crews operated continuously during and after the storm events to restore strategic corridors.

The humanitarian consequences were severe, especially in informal settlements where flood resilience is limited. Thousands of residents were housed in temporary shelters, including community halls and emergency accommodation facilities.

The May 2026 Western Cape floods constituted a province-wide disaster with severe humanitarian, infrastructural and economic consequences. Emergency response operations demonstrated strong intergovernmental coordination and extensive civil society participation but the scale of displacement and infrastructure failure highlighted persistent vulnerabilities in settlement planning, drainage infrastructure and climate adaptation readiness.

The classification of the recent severe weather events as a National Disaster
The Head of the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC), Dr Elias Sithole, has classified the recent severe weather events affecting several provinces as a national disaster in terms of Section 23(1)(b) of the Disaster Management Act, 2002 (Act No. 57 of 2002). The classification follows widespread severe weather conditions experienced from 4 May 2026, including heavy rainfall, flooding, thunderstorms, damaging winds and snowfall across the Western Cape, North West, Free State, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Mpumalanga provinces.

Sources: Ministry of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Western Cape Government, Premier Alan Wind, Garden Route District Municipality, George Municipality, Mossel Bay Municipality, Breede Valley Municipality, Overstrand Municipality, Cederberg Local Municipality, Theewaterskloof Municipality,

Quote of the week
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On 12 and 13 May 2026, Rural Metro Emergency Management Services officially launched its state-of-the-art Training Academy at De Hoek Farm in Heidelberg, marking a significant milestone in the advancement of emergency services training and skills development in Africa. The two-day launch event brought together a wide range of stakeholders, with the first day dedicated to government and municipal representatives, while the second day welcomed industrial partners and private sector groups.

Against the backdrop of global crises and tensions, Interschutz will open in Hanover on 1 June 2026 (1 to 6 June). With 1 750 exhibitors from 55 countries, the world’s leading international trade fair for fire and rescue services as well as civil protection is already set to become the largest Interschutz in its history under the motto “Safeguarding Tomorrow.” The exhibition space across nine halls and various outdoor areas is also surpassing all previous records, covering more than 118 000 square metres (2022 – still impacted by COVID-19: 1 296 exhibitors, 84 052 square metres, 84 920 visitors; 2015 – previous record-breaking edition: 1 453 exhibitors, 107 327 square metres, 156844 visitors).

NSRI Kleinmond crew were activated following a request for assistance from Western Cape Government Health EMS Metro Rescue and Western Cape Disaster Risk Management (DRM), in cooperation with Overberg DRM, following reports of farm workers trapped on farm building roofs on a farm between Worcester and Rawsonville, along the Old N1 roadway. NSRI Kleinmond crew mustered at our NSRI Kleinmond station 42 rescue base before proceeding to the EMS rescue base at Worcester, using our NSRI rescue vehicle, towing our NSRI rescue craft JetRIB, accompanied by NSRI CROCS (small floating rescue craft) and NSRI crews private vehicles.

Aerial firefighting has evolved rapidly over the last 80 years, becoming a vital part of the response to wildfires. Change continues apace, but the frequency and severity of wildfires is growing. Wildfires are increasing in frequency and severity, according to most experts.[1] Headlines over the last couple of years include “‘Unprecedented’ wildfire burns area size of Paris in southern France”[2], “Wildfire numbers this year surge past 500, as Fire Chiefs urge public caution”[3], “National bushfire outlook puts NSW, Victoria and southern WA at heightened risk”[4] and “Biggest wildfire in Nebraska history continues to burn out of control”[5] offering some indication of the scale of the devastation and disruption caused by these fires.

eThekwini Municipality’s Fire Services responded swiftly to a reported structural collapse in the Durban CBD, on Monday, 11 May 2026, demonstrating rapid coordination and life-saving expertise under pressure. The incident occurred at approximately 11:00am at 107 Monty Naicker Street (formerly Pine Street), where a structure undergoing renovations collapsed, leaving five contractors injured.

Wildfires in northern Japan have been brought under control after an 11-day battle, following one of the country’s largest forest fires in decades, according to officials. The fires broke out in late April across the mountainous Iwate region and burned approximately 1 600 hectares, or around 4 000 acres, of land. Authorities said the affected area is nearly five times the size of New York City’s Central Park. Hundreds of firefighters and more than 1 000 military personnel had battled the blazes since late April, as they burned across the mountainous Iwate region.

Post of gratitude: You turned fear into hope and chaos into coordinated rescue. Where does one even begin?
In the midst of one of the most devastating floods in Kouga’s history, when the Gamtoos River burst its banks, homes were submerged, roads collapsed and families in Patensie, Hankey and surrounding areas faced terrifying isolation, you stood strong. Thank you to NSRI (Stations 6 Gqeberha, 36 Oyster Bay, 37 Jeffreys Bay and 21 St Francis Bay), Kouga Municipality, Gamtoos Water, South African Police Services (SAPS), and all the other emergency services: Eastern Cape Government Health EMS, private ambulance services and Search and Rescue South Africa (SARZA).

A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck China’s Guangxi region on 18 May 2026, killing at least two people and leaving one missing. Strong tremors caused at least 13 buildings to collapse, while four injured residents were hospitalised with non-life-threatening injuries. Over 7 000 people were evacuated as rescue operations continued across Liuzhou city. Authorities deployed more than 300 emergency personnel and 51 rescue vehicles to search damaged neighbourhoods.

A 20-year-old woman was fatally crushed and three others were injured when a massive tree collapsed onto several shacks in the Makausi informal settlement in Germiston during severe thunderstorms on Wednesday morning, 6 May 2026. Rescue teams from the City of Ekurhuleni swiftly responded after receiving a call of a huge tree that crushed on several shacks in Makausi informal settlement. The primary responding team from Primrose Fire Station received the call at 02h29 and swiftly responded for intervention. Backup was activated from Bedfordview and Edenvale fire stations, respectively.

When a firefighter showed up more than 20 years ago to help deliver a baby, he never imagined he would eventually be there to celebrate that same child’s milestones — including her graduation and upcoming wedding. Alan Kent, now retired, responded to a medical call in Colorado Springs, Springs, on 15 February 2004, where he found a woman named Stacy Huddle about to give birth to her daughter, Chloe Huddle. “We heard Stacy upstairs screaming. I was like, I think we’re going to have a baby,” Alan recalled to news outlet Arizona’s Family.

This week’s featured Fire and Rescue International magazine article is: Fires in high-rise buildings– initial attack written by Ian Schnetler, chief fire officer, City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Service (at the time of writing the article), (FRI Vol 3 no 12). We will be sharing more technical/research/tactical articles from Fire and Rescue International magazine on a weekly basis with our readers to assist in technology transfer. This will hopefully create an increased awareness, providing you with hands-on advice and guidance. All our magazines are available free of charge in PDF format on our website and online at ISSUU. We also provide all technical articles as a free download in our article archive on our website.

The Minns Labor Government unveiled the new-look Moss Vale Fire Station, following a $2 million upgrade to strengthen emergency services in the Southern Highlands, New South Wales, Australia. The refurbishment fulfils an election commitment and provides the station’s firefighters with modern facilities, more than 50 years after it was first built in 1971. The works increase the safety and capability of the station, including enhancements to accommodate larger fire fighting vehicles.

Hydraulic rescue tools are used by emergency rescue personnel to assist in the extrication of victims involved in vehicle accidents, as well as other rescues in small spaces. These tools include cutters, spreaders and rams.

Source: Cool Tech

Improve your firefighter cardio fast with proven training methods. Learn how to build your aerobic base, raise your VO₂ max with intervals, improve endurance with steady state and train smart in gear. Follow these steps to last longer on air, recover faster and perform when it matters most.

Source: Mitch Gourley

This video is part 2 of 5. The video demonstrates how to load the MDFR version of the flat load on our pre-connected cross-lays.

Source: Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Training Division

Aviation Fire Training School (1964) Stanstead, Essex, UK

Source: British Pathé