South Africa: Storms Demolish About 1,000 Homes In Cape Town

As the city prepares for a week of destructive storms, about 1,000 homes in Cape Town, South Africa’s informal settlements have been damaged by gale-force winds, uprooting some 4,000 residents, according to authorities and an assistance agency.

According to meteorological officials in South Africa, multiple cold fronts are predicted to hit Cape Town and the surrounding areas until at least Friday, bringing with them heavy rain, wind, and flooding. This information was released on Monday.

Since the first front moved in last Thursday, the disaster coordination team in Cape Town has been on high alert.

The impoverished, unofficial settlements surrounding the second-largest city in South Africa are predicted to be the worst affected. Strong winds in the township of Khayelitsha, on the outskirts of Cape Town, have demolished homes and other structures, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes.

Over the weekend, 3,000 blankets and 10,000 meals were given to displaced individuals in Khayelitsha by the local humanitarian group Gift of the Givers.

According to the City of Cape Town, there have been floods in other regions and power outages in over thirty suburbs due to the weather. It stated that, with more intense rain predicted this week, it is keeping an eye on dam levels to make sure they don’t overflow and would think about releasing some water under controlled conditions.

In the middle of the year, during Cape Town’s winter season, cold fronts from the Atlantic Ocean frequently hit the city. They are particularly harmful to the underprivileged informal settlements.