Hey my lovies, here’s a warning issued by the South African Weather Service. Level 8 severe storm from today, Sunday 10 May, until Tuesday 12 May 2026.
Let us be real about what this means for Cape Town. Rain is coming. Heavy, persistent rain. And while some of us will watch it from dry windows, others will feel it seep through walls and floors. Some will leave for work in the morning and come home to a flooded house or shack. This is not about fear. This is about facts, preparation, and looking out for each other.
The Flooding Reality
In Cape Town, flooding is the biggest threat. Informal settlements bear the worst of it. Shacks fill with water. Bedding gets soaked. Everything you own sits in a puddle. You wake up and cannot go to work because the path outside is a river. Your children cannot get to school because the ground between home and the road disappeared overnight. Or you leave in the morning and come home to find your floor underwater, your mattress ruined, your life turned upside down while you were out earning a living.
This is not hypothetical. This happens every time the skies open. If you live in a low-lying area, an informal settlement, or anywhere drainage is already struggling, start preparing now. Move valuables to higher ground. Lift bedding off the floor. Find the highest point in your space and make it your safe zone.
And then there is the sewage. Cape Town has a serious sewage blockage problem that gets worse when it rains. Streets flood not just with rainwater but with waste. The smell, the health risk, the damage to homes and streets, it is a crisis on top of a crisis. Avoid walking through standing floodwater if you can. Wear proper shoes if you must. Protect your feet, your skin, your health.
Getting to Work Today and Tomorrow
If you need to travel, be careful. Roads get slippery during rainy days. Oil and dirt rise to the surface and turn tarmac into ice. Braking distances stretch. Corners become traps. Potholes hide under puddles.
Leave earlier than usual. Drive slower than usual. Keep your headlights on. Increase the gap between you and the car ahead. If a road looks flooded, turn around. Even shallow water can sweep a car off course. Even familiar routes become dangerous when visibility drops and surfaces change.
Public transport users, stay alert. Taxi ranks get crowded when services delay. Platforms get slippery. Buses skid. Give yourself extra time, extra patience, extra caution.
For the Kids
Check school closures before you leave the house. Many schools in affected areas will not open. Do not send children out into unsafe conditions. If they are home, keep them indoors and occupied. If they must travel, make sure their route is safe and someone knows where they are.
Tonight’s Prep
- Move valuables and bedding to higher ground if flooding is a risk
- Charge your phone and keep emergency numbers saved
- Check on neighbours, especially the elderly and those in vulnerable housing
- Avoid walking through floodwater, especially where sewage may be present
- Leave for work earlier and drive carefully on slippery roads
- Keep emergency supplies ready: torch, water, snacks, warm layers
Looking Out for Each Other
This storm will pass. Some of us will shake off our umbrellas and carry on. Others will spend days drying out homes, replacing what was lost, and trying to get back to work. If you are dry and safe, check on someone who might not be. Share information. Offer a lift. Donate to relief efforts. The gap between those who weather storms easily and those who do not is real, and community is how we close it.
Stay safe, my lovies. Stay dry. Stay careful on those roads. And keep your eyes open for each other.
