Roofs were blown off houses in parts of Cape Town, trees uprooted, roads forced to close and electricity to various areas cut off as the monster storm coming in off the Atlantic coast hit the Mother City overnight.
The City of Cape Town’s Disaster Risk Management Centre reported that two people – a woman and a four-year-old child – were injured when powerful winds ripped the roof off their home in Lavender Hill. The child was taken to Victoria Hospital.
Roofs were also blown off in the Strand area, Kalkfontein, Delft, Mfuleni, Mandalay, while 15 people were displaced when their roofs were blown off in Imizamo Yethu in Hout Bay.
Charlotte Powell, the spokesperson for the Disaster Risk Management Centre, said: “At this stage, we can report that 15 people are displaced in Imizamo Yethu due to their dwellings/roofs blown away. Five people are staying at a school in Maitland as their dwelling was compromised. (Royal Road informal settlement).”
The City also reported trees uprooted in Durbanville, Delft, Plattekloof and Plumstead, where a tree landed on a block of flats but luckily no one was injured.
Cape Town’s famous Chapman’s Peak Drive was also closed due to the storm.
Electricity cables were down in Athlone, Weltevreden Valley, Pelican Park, Schaapkraal, Goodwood, Boston and Parow Valley, while there were road closures at Main Road and Chestnut in Hout Bay due to an uprooted tree. Electricity was also reportedly out in Woodstock and areas of Mitchells Plain.
The Western Cape and parts of the Northern Cape are set to be battered by the storm which is expected to be at its strongest during the course of Wednesday.
The Western Cape Education Department on Tuesday took the unprecedented step of closing all schools on Wednesday due to safety fears.
The City’s Disaster Risk Management Centre has warned that waves could reach in excess of 12 metres along the coastal areas of the Cape Peninsula, while winds were expected to reach 90 kilometres per hour at times.
JP Smith, the mayoral committee member for safety, security, and social services, had earlier cautioned residents along the Cape coastline to take extra precautions.
“We recommend that the public stays away from the coastline tomorrow, including the Sea Point Promenade. Residents of areas right at the coast such as Bakoven, Camps Bay Main Road, Slangkop, Kommetjie, Small and Big Bay in Blouberg, Melkbosstrand, Strand etc. might want to consider moving their cars to higher ground if they can. It is key that the general public stays away from the coastal areas for their own safety.”
– African News Agency (ANA)
