Cape Town Faces Devastation After Heavy Rains and Winds

Severe winter rains accompanied by gale-force winds wreaked havoc across Cape Town on Thursday, causing widespread flooding and significant damage. The City’s Disaster Operations Centre reported that informal settlements, particularly in areas like Khayelitsha, bore the brunt of the flooding. Numerous homes lost their roofs, and thousands of structures, including makeshift dwellings, were severely impacted.

Critical infrastructure, such as major highways, also faced inundation, while concerns mounted over rising water levels in dams across the region. Wouter Kriel, spokesperson for the provincial disaster management centre, indicated that the number of affected structures fluctuated between 14,000 to 15,000, underscoring the scale of the disaster.

Residents recounted harrowing experiences of roofs torn off by powerful winds, which also downed power lines, causing widespread electricity outages. Sammy Gelord, a resident of Wynberg, described the surreal experience of witnessing his home’s roof being ripped away.

In response to the severe weather warnings, the Western Cape education department ordered the closure of numerous schools across the city and surrounding areas. The South African Weather Service issued alerts for disruptive rain potentially leading to further flooding and mudslides in Cape Town, as well as the Drakenstein and Stellenbosch regions.

Recent weather patterns have seen successive cold fronts pummeling the region, with mountainous areas witnessing unusual heavy snowfalls. The extreme weather events have left thousands homeless, prompting the Western Cape provincial government to appeal for urgent emergency assistance from national authorities.