Capetonians braced themselves for the heavily anticipated storm that made landfall on Sunday afternoon bringing huge waves and gale-force winds the the Mother City. Picture: Armand Hough / African News Agency (ANA)
Cape Town has been hit by a series of severe weather-related incidents, affecting informal settlements and formal housing areas and caused outages in a number of areas.
Reports of house flooding in formal housing areas have emerged from Durbanville, Bo-Kaap, Schaapkraal, Bellville South, Belhar, Sandvlei Macassar, Strand, Gordons Bay, and Knorhoek.
“Emergency services have assisted four persons trapped in a house in Strand and evacuated them to Strand Fire station. The roof was blown off a private property in the CBD, while a NUTEC dwelling in Hout Bay was also damaged due to wind,” said Disaster Risk Management spokesperson Charlotte Powell, adding that assessments will determine exact damage.
According to Powell, informal settlements in Shuku-Shukma, Sir Lowry's Pass Village, Rasta Camp, Riemvasmaak, 7de Laan Sandvlei Macassar, Old Faure Driftsands, Mfuleni, and Bellville South have been heavily affected.
Electricity Woes
The weather has not only caused flooding but has also taken a toll on the city's electricity supply.
Areas affected include Philippi, Gugulethu, Eastridge, Steenberg, Wetton, Bellville, Plattekloof, Green Point, and Pinati Estate.
Storm related damage often leads to area outages and the restoration times are being impacted by the damaged infrastructure and ongoing stormy weather.
Some repair work on damaged overhead lines is contingent on improved weather conditions for safety reasons. Additionally, Eskom's load-shedding can further affect service requests and restoration times.
High call volumes have been reported as residents seek assistance for storm-related damage. Teams are working diligently to respond to these calls but are facing challenges due to the extent of the damage.
IOL
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