Strong winds have destroyed over 1,000 homes in informal settlements in Cape Town, South Africa, displacing around 4,000 people. This comes as the city braces for a week of damaging storms.
South African weather authorities reported Monday that Cape Town and surrounding areas are expected to face multiple cold fronts until at least Friday, bringing torrential rain, strong winds, flooding, and possible mudslides. City authorities also warned of storm surges and high waves along the coastline, advising people to stay away from the beachfront.
Western Cape Premier Alan Winde, along with members of his provincial Cabinet, updated the public on the coordinated response to the severe weather on Wednesday. Disaster management teams across the province have been on high alert since the beginning of the week, responding to numerous weather-related incidents.
Winde urged the public to heed officials’ calls to evacuate their homes or avoid closed roads, noting that some communities are cut off due to severe weather conditions.
With a Level 8 warning issued for the province on Thursday, the City of Cape Town said they have “all hands on deck” should assistance be needed. The City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, warned that the weather conditions will likely result in widespread flooding and impact response times.
“I want to assure the public that the City has all hands on deck, but the weather conditions will likely result in widespread flooding and impact response times,” Smith said.
He also cautioned the public to refrain from sharing unverified social media posts, videos, and photographs, as old clips have resurfaced in the past. “The difficulty with indiscriminate sharing of information or visuals is that we need to dispatch staff to verify it, particularly if there is a potential risk to life or property – resources that could be directed elsewhere,” Smith added.
The city advised residents to stay off the roads and remain indoors if possible on Thursday.
Due to extreme weather conditions across the Western Cape, Eskom reported that 11,000 customers are currently without power. Multiple faults have been reported across the province due to the damaging rains and winds. Areas still affected include: Citrusdal, De Doorns and surrounding areas, Delft, Op-die-Berg (Ceres), Malmesbury and surrounding areas, Rawsonville and surrounding farms, Somerset West and Touws River.