George, South Africa - July 13, 2024

Storyline:
Heavy rains have pounded South Africa's Western Cape over the past days, triggering widespread flooding and displacing numerous residents across the province and leaving a local humanitarian organization at the forefront of crucial aid delivery to families left homeless in rural areas.

Farmlands were inundated in the province's Breede Valley, leaving hundreds stranded as floodwaters breached their homes unexpectedly.

Humanitarian group Gift of The Givers has been providing thousands of hot meals and tons of relief supplies to storm survivors throughout the Western Cape.

Many survivors recounted harrowing scenes of fleeing their homes in the middle of the night with only the clothes on their backs.

With uncertainty looming over their return home, affected families expressed gratitude for the immediate essentials provided -- hot meals, dry blankets, and safe accommodations with loved ones.

As authorities brace for an anticipated Level 8 storm and more heavy rainfall in the days ahead, the community remains on alert for further developments.

Shotlist:
Breede Valley, Western Cape, South Africa - July 13, 2024:
1. Flooded road;
2. Ali Sablay, spokesperson of Gift of the Givers, briefing on situation;
3. Various of organization staff handing out food, blankest to flood-affected people;
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Ali Sablay, spokesperson, Gift of the Givers (starting with shot 3/ending with shots 5-6):
"There are several roads linking to farms that have completely washed away. Those people have been completely cut off, receiving no form of aid. They cannot reach shops, et cetera. So, we are here today to assist them, to assist those families with humanitarian packages. Non-perishable food items, warm clothing, blankets, to keep them going until there's access and accessibility to roads again."
5. Various of staff handing out food;
6. Mini-truck driving through flooded road;
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Sewes Pretorius, deputy chief, Breede Valley Fire Department (starting with shot 6/ending with shot 8):
"An incredible amount of rain has fallen over the past few days. We've been inundated with rescue calls, evacuating people. And that is not only in informal settlements, that is from all over. There's actually been 60 families that have been left isolated from the rest of the world."
8. Flooded river;
9. Flooded rail tracks;
10. Various of floodwater, excavator in operation;
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Johannes Sabata Mabetha, flood survivor (starting with shot 12/ending with shot 13):
"They took us in the boat because the house was already in the water. But, we are still worried about our belongings. We left our belongings there in the water, in that river."
13. People watching excavator working, rescue operation in progress;
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Sylvia Mabeta, flood survivor (starting with shot 13/ending with shot 15):
"The water came like, I didn't know, but it came like something like a river, like it was pushed. The baby nearly drowned, because I didn't even see it coming. It was painful, painful, painful, painful."
15. Various of excavator working to remove floodwater;
16. Various of flood survivors in shelter;
17. Staff handing out meal to survivors;
18. Survivor sleeping on makeshift bed on floor;
19. Various of screen showing drone footage of flood-hit landscape;
20. People observing floodwater.

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