As heavy rains battered parts of the Western Cape on Tuesday evening, Manenberg residents rallied to help one another.

"That was real community spirit I saw," retired teacher Lenina Solomons said.

According to residents, the floodwater in Dwyka Road, Manenberg, had been thigh high on Tuesday evening as the first winter rains wreaked havoc in suburbs across the Mother City.

"My neighbour arrived home as it started pouring down and his car got stuck in the floodwater; residents immediately arrived on the scene and helped him to push it into his yard.

"They also made sure that his wife and children [who were in the car] were also safe," said Solomons who has been living in the area for 53 years.

"That's the community spirit of Manenberg I know," she added.

A few houses from Solomons, the Aprils - Johannes and Esme who own a clothing business, told News24 that they were lucky that the rain had not caused a lot of damage, although they were concerned at how quickly the street became flooded.

After clearing their house of water, Esme said they then assisted some of their neighbours.

"I particularly felt sorry for the Muslims in the area because some of them didn't have electricity during the downpour so they couldn't cook meals for Eid ul-Fitr."

She also revealed how they sheltered two children because they "kept crying" because of the rain.

Also assisting with recovery work were members of Women for Change, which is an organisation fighting gender-based violence.

Speaking on behalf of the volunteers, Natalie Michaels said they started assisting affected families on Wednesday morning, particularly the elderly and children.

"We are still on the ground working," added Michaels. 

Earlier on Wednesday, Charlotte Powell of the City of Cape Town's Disaster Management confirmed that the heavy downpour had also affected informal settlements in Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, Philippi, and Imizamo Yethu in Hout Bay.