Cape Town — The City of Cape Town’s Disaster Risk Management (DRM) team has been hard at work tending to high-risk areas affected by the storm, to assess where extra relief is needed.
The storms over the past three days have caused damages to houses, schools, buildings and roads with several areas been hit by power outages due to the inclement weather, with DRM spokesperson, Charlotte Powell, saying 28 incidents of areas damaged due to wind, EWN reported.
“At least 28 incidents have been listed of areas where structural damage occurred due to the wind, including Delft, Mitchells Plain, Khayelitsha, Blue Downs, Somerset West, Northpine, Sir Lowry’s Pass, Monwabisi, and commercial properties in Strand. At this stage, the number of structures affected – subject to more detailed assessment – are 2,779,” Powell said.
She added that the DRM team has arranged for humanitarian relief through NGO partners, with many residents seeking shelter with friends and family in the meantime.
UPDATE: City response to inclement weather by Disaster Risk Management Spokesperson, Charlotte Powell
Disaster Risk Management officials are monitoring high-risk areas and determining the need for humanitarian and engineering relief where impacts have been reported.#CTInfo pic.twitter.com/MCfZnS5xYk
— City of Cape Town (@CityofCT) April 9, 2024
The Recreation and Parks Department’s after-hours tree emergency teams responded to 108 calls from this past weekend in response to fallen trees from the strong wind. It reported that that figure exceeds the total number of incidents during a three-month period in 2023 in winter, which was 76.
‘The number of tree incidents are an indication of the severity of this frontal system, and a key reminder of why our tree emergency teams are such a critical component. These men and women are out in the elements, to clear obstructions and make areas safe for the public. They have had an incredibly busy weekend, and will continue working until all of the incidents have been cleared. The teams are very experienced, as we have seen in seasons gone by, and while this weather episode has had devastating impacts, it has also presented an opportunity to fine-tune their preparations for winter,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Patricia van der Ross.
Tree emergencies: 108 incidents and counting in 48 hours
The Recreation and Parks Department’s after-hours tree emergency teams fielded at least 108 calls this weekend of trees that had fallen.
Read more: https://t.co/e2wFfjIVXp#CTNews #CommunityServicesAndHealth pic.twitter.com/YnDrrnHh6h
— City of Cape Town (@CityofCT) April 9, 2024
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
