More than 300 mm (11.8 inches) of rain triggers flooding, evacuations, and dam overflow in South Africa

More than 301 mm (11.9 inches) of rain fell in parts of South Africa’s Garden Route after an intense cut-off low brought flooding, evacuations, road closures, and infrastructure damage across the Western and Eastern Cape from May 5–7, 2026. At least one person died in Knysna, hundreds were affected in Garden Route shelter operations, and emergency shelters were opened across flood-affected parts of Nelson Mandela Bay and the Eastern Cape. Source