Chaos erupted across the Eastern Cape on Tuesday as relentless rainfall, flooding, snow, and gale-force winds battered several parts of the province, leaving homes submerged, roads impassable, and communities cut off from essential services.
The OR Tambo District — including Mthatha, Qumbu, Tsolo, Komani, Bizana, and KwaBhaca — has been among the hardest hit, with 149mm of rain recorded in Mthatha alone by Tuesday morning.
On social media, distraught residents have posted urgent pleas for help, showing homes inundated up to their rooftops, collapsed bridges, fallen trees, and widespread damage to infrastructure.
Amid the chaos, schools across the district have issued urgent warnings to learners and parents, urging them not to risk crossing overflowing rivers and bridges to attend class.
A message from Toli Senior Secondary School reads:
“Due to ongoing weather conditions, please be advised that no learner crossing the river must come to school, even if they are writing today.”
Shortly after schools issued their warning, a 22-seater scholar transport bus that was en route to Jumba Senior Secondary School in the Eastern Cape was swept away by rising water at the Efata Bridge..
According to the SA National Taxi Council (Santaco), the driver had requested assistance earlier as the vehicle was stuck. Santaco spokesperson Mmatshikhidi Rebels Phala said by the time help arrived, water had engulfed the bridge.
She said eyewitnesses reported seeing at least three pupils clinging to trees, calling for help; they have since been rescued.
Phala said the exact number of pupils on board could not be confirmed as pupils attend school according to varying timetables during exam season.
Meanwhile, the Eastern Cape Department of Health has confirmed that additional medical rescue teams have been deployed from Gqeberha, East London, and the Chris Hani District to support operations in Mthatha.
Spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo says local emergency crews have been hard at work since the early hours, rescuing trapped residents in the Slovo area — some from rooftops and even from trees in a flooded dam zone.
He said, "The Department is working in close coordination with provincial disaster management teams and is engaging with the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to mobilise further resources."
Kupelo added that in one dramatic incident, a school principal in Mqanduli was saved after his vehicle was swept into a river.
Meanwhile, in the Amathole District, spokesperson Sisa Msiwa says the Butterworth Water Treatment Works has been flooded and is currently not operational. Msiwa urged residents to use water sparingly as recovery teams work to restore the facility.
She says relief efforts are underway in Skiti and Eugene informal settlements, where displaced residents have been moved to Butterworth Town Hall, now serving as a temporary shelter.
"Evacuations have also taken place in Morgan’s Bay and Kei Mouth, with displaced residents housed in local community halls and provided with hot meals, blankets, and mattresses," she added.
Meanwhile, Eskom has earlier confirmed that nearly 300 000 customers have been left without electricity in the wake of damaging gale-force winds and rain, which have brought down power lines across the region.
Restoration teams are being dispatched to affected areas such as Mthatha, Qumbu, Komani, Bizana, and Butterworth — but Eskom is urging patience, warning that all appliances and cables should be treated as live.
Several key roads have been closed or severely affected, including the R61 between Mthatha and Ngcobo, and the N2 near Emakhaphetshwini.
The Wapadsberg Pass between Nxuba and Graaff-Reinet has been blanketed in snow, further complicating travel.
The Provincial Government, along with district municipalities, the SANDF, SAPS, and emergency services, continues to respond to the unfolding disaster.
Msiwa confirmed a Joint Operations Centre (JOC) is expected to convene on Tuesday evening to coordinate further relief and assess escalating needs.
“The priority is to ensure no family is left behind during this crisis,” she concluded.
Residents are urged to stay indoors, avoid flooded areas, and follow updates from official disaster and emergency teams.
