CAPE TOWN, - The worst floods in 40 years in the area around Capetown displaced some 13,000 families on Friday from flooded shacks in squatter camps on the Cape Flats which is a natural drainage area for rainwater running off Table Mountain.

Compared to what the UK experienced last year, the actual amount rainfall was rather small. However, uncontrolled settlement in unsuitable areas might turn a natural weather event into a desaster.