A savage cold front swept in from the Atlantic on Tuesday, bringing heavy rains, flooding, snow and ice, and causing runaway fires, fanned by gale-force winds.
Hundreds were left homeless on the Cape Flats by flooding, while firefighters battled to contain raging fires along the Garden Route, blasted by powerful, dry winds…
Estimates by disaster managers on Tuesday were that more than 1,000 people needed emergency help after their homes were flooded or damaged by wind…
Cape Town’s disaster management spokesperson, Johan Minnie, said the areas worst hit by flooding were Gugulethu, Browns Farm, Khayelitsha and Phola Park in Philippi.
In the Lotus informal settlement in Gugulethu, the storm had left more than 500 people homeless after it had ripped a number of shacks apart…
On the West Coast, houses were damaged by high winds.
Msimelo Mabula, director of community services for the West Coast District Municipality, said Saldanha Bay was worst affected by “terrible overnight storms and gale- force winds” and 20 shelters were damaged.
“Strong winds lifted off the roofs and destroyed some walls,” he said.
Mabula said displaced residents would be housed temporarily in Wendy houses being built in Paternoster by disaster management volunteers.
In Lingalethu, five homes were damaged and residents had been given plastic sheeting to waterproof their shelters.
Strong winds uprooted several trees. There were several short power failures, thought to have been caused by the storm, at Elands Bay, Clanwilliam and Citrusdal.
Mabula said the municipality had a supply of blankets and food parcels in case more people were affected.
“At the moment we’ve got enough for 300 more people. As soon as we heard a cold front was approaching we ensured there was extra,” he said.
The SA Weather Service said the cold front would end on Wednesday but another, weaker, front would hit on Friday and bring more rain. - Cape Times
Hundreds were left homeless on the Cape Flats by flooding, while firefighters battled to contain raging fires along the Garden Route, blasted by powerful, dry winds…
Estimates by disaster managers on Tuesday were that more than 1,000 people needed emergency help after their homes were flooded or damaged by wind…
Cape Town’s disaster management spokesperson, Johan Minnie, said the areas worst hit by flooding were Gugulethu, Browns Farm, Khayelitsha and Phola Park in Philippi.
In the Lotus informal settlement in Gugulethu, the storm had left more than 500 people homeless after it had ripped a number of shacks apart…
On the West Coast, houses were damaged by high winds.
Msimelo Mabula, director of community services for the West Coast District Municipality, said Saldanha Bay was worst affected by “terrible overnight storms and gale- force winds” and 20 shelters were damaged.
“Strong winds lifted off the roofs and destroyed some walls,” he said.
Mabula said displaced residents would be housed temporarily in Wendy houses being built in Paternoster by disaster management volunteers.
In Lingalethu, five homes were damaged and residents had been given plastic sheeting to waterproof their shelters.
Strong winds uprooted several trees. There were several short power failures, thought to have been caused by the storm, at Elands Bay, Clanwilliam and Citrusdal.
Mabula said the municipality had a supply of blankets and food parcels in case more people were affected.
“At the moment we’ve got enough for 300 more people. As soon as we heard a cold front was approaching we ensured there was extra,” he said.
The SA Weather Service said the cold front would end on Wednesday but another, weaker, front would hit on Friday and bring more rain. - Cape Times
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