The Mother City’s infamous stormy weather has wreaked havoc again.
The second storm in a week which made landfall in the Western Cape late on Sunday night has caused chaos across the Cape metropole as gale-force winds uprooted trees, blew off roofs and heavy rains caused severe flooding.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Daily Voice(@dailyvoicesa) on Jul 13, 2020 at 12:22am PDT
The City of Cape Town’s Disaster Risk Management spokesperson Charlotte Powell said despite the heavy rain and flooding that occurred in informal settlements, no evacuation to emergency shelters was required.
At Nomzamo High School, which is built with prefabs, five classes were damaged by the wind while the school’s toilets were completely destroyed.
Teachers arriving at the school were stopped at the gate by the caretaker.
In Manenberg, Aqeel Smith woke up to find his car damaged by roof tiles.
“The wind was blowing and I do not have a garage,” he says.
The windows of the vehicle were still intact although the body was marred by deep scratches.
MOERSE SKRIK: Aqeel Smith’s vehicle was damaged by roof tiles
Powell said on Monday that mopping up operations are under way as officials from Disaster Risk Management, alongside other City Council departments, are assessing the affected areas.
She said the Informal Settlements Department will be providing residents with flood kits and the Transport Department is assisting in handing over sand and milling.
Sassa has been requested to provide the affected residents with humanitarian relief.
Powell said roofs were also blown off homes in areas across the Cape Flats.
HIT BY FLOODING: Dunoon shacks under water after a storm made landfall in Cape Town on Sunday night. Pictures: Ana and supplied
“Roofs were blown off in Manenberg, Heideveld and Lavender Hill, while numerous trees were uprooted, most notably in Tokai, where a house was partially damaged; and in Waterloo Village in Gardens, uprooted trees damaged vehicles,” Powell said.
These incidents are being seen to by the Recreation and Parks Department.
Roads across the city were flooded by the torrential rains and are being attended to by the Roads and Stormwater Department, she added.
WET AND WILD: Sea Point road covered in water
The City of Cape Town’s Traffic Services spokesperson Richard Coleman said 19 areas across the city had reported uprooted trees across the roadway, including Somerset West, Newlands, Tokai, Kraaifontein, Blackheath, Bellville, Rondebosch and Parow.
Strong winds also damaged a high school in the Strand area, damaging mobile classrooms.
The bad weather is expected to last throughout this week before passing to the Eastern Cape and Gauteng.