Muthomi Ireri
On Thursday, July 11, Cape Town and its surrounding areas experienced more severe storms, exacerbating the damage already caused by a week of extreme weather. Roofs were torn off houses, extensive flooding ensued, and at least 4,500 residents were displaced. Authorities reported that around 15,000 structures were damaged. The region has been battered by multiple cold fronts since late last week, bringing record rainfall and gale-force winds, with the adverse weather expected to continue through the weekend and possibly into the following week.
In Cape Town’s Wynberg neighborhood, strong winds overnight destroyed roofs and parts of buildings, downed electricity poles, and caused widespread damage. The city’s Disaster Operations Centre responded to numerous emergency calls, working through the night. JP Smith, a city official, stated that over 36,000 meals and 6,000 blankets had been provided to those affected in the past two days.
The hardest-hit were those in impoverished informal settlements around Cape Town, where metal and wooden shacks are particularly vulnerable to severe weather. Schools in Cape Town and nearby areas, including Stellenbosch, were closed due to the storms. Snow, an unusual occurrence, lined the streets in Stellenbosch earlier in the week, attributed to the extreme cold fronts from the Atlantic Ocean.
Three major rivers in the Western Cape province had overflowed. Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis noted that evacuations were ordered in the agricultural area of Citrusdal and parts of Stellenbosch due to flooding. Authorities also considered controlled releases from dams to prevent potential overflow damage.
Cold fronts are typical for Cape Town during winter, but the frequency and severity of the recent fronts are unusual.
Dj Vnyash
Silverio Omari
