A ferocious Level 8 storm tore through the Overberg on Monday and Tuesday, leaving a trail of destruction across multiple towns and municipalities, cutting power to thousands of homes, damaging structures, uprooting trees and bringing traffic to a standstill in what is shaping up to be one of the most destructive weather events the region has seen in recent memory.

From Monday morning, 11 May, both the Overstrand and Theewaterskloof municipalities had activated full disaster management operations, with teams deployed across the region responding to a rapidly growing number of incidents.

The storm’s most immediate and widespread impact was a catastrophic electricity failure affecting towns across the entire Overberg region. By Monday morning residents of Grabouw, Bot-

rivier, Hermanus, Gansbaai, Hawston, Greyton, Stanford and Betty’s Bay were all without power.

The Overstrand Municipality confirmed Eskom had been notified. “We suspect the issue may involve one of the main Eskom cables.” An Eskom update issued at 08:45 on Monday confirmed that teams were en route to the site at Hawston/Afdaks, where a number of 66kV breakers had tripped, affecting vast areas across the region.

With most traffic lights out of operation, residents were urged to treat all intersections as four-way stops.

Trucks overturned, roads blocked

The violent winds claimed several vehicles on the region’s major routes, with multiple trucks blown over during the storm. In the Theewaterskloof municipal area a truck jack-knifed on the R321 near the Theewaterskloof bridge in Villiersdorp, with traffic officials deployed to the scene to manage the situation. Motorists were urged to approach the area with extreme caution.

Structural damage across multiple towns

The scale of structural damage reported across the Overberg is extensive. In Riviersonderend the roof of the Solid Waste Transfer Station was completely blown off, with sheets of roofing material scattered across the surrounding roadway. Theewaterskloof traffic services were on scene managing the hazard. Residents in the area were urged to exercise extreme caution as debris and roofing material continued to be hurled through the air by powerful winds.

In Grabouw multiple formal and informal structures sustained damage, with a shack structure completely blown over on the roadside of the N2 near Siyanyanzela on the incoming side. In Botrivier a private residential roof in Main Road was blown off, while water teams continued urgent repairs in the Keurboom area.

In Greyton and Genadendal multiple trees and branches blocked roads off the Main Road, and falling trees brought power lines down. A tree fell directly onto the roof of a house in Voorstekraal, with residents in that area left to assess the damage as storm teams worked to respond. In Caledon a tree collapsed in Human Street below the Nerina Hostel, while across the Overstrand area, multiple formal and informal structures, including roofs and solar panels, were reported destroyed or severely damaged by the relentless winds.

“The Whale Coast Mall in Hermanus was not spared from the storm’s wrath,” said Grethe Conradie of Whale Coast Mall in a statement issued Monday morning. “Management confirmed the mall had sustained damage to several areas, but that it would remain operational. Due to the adverse weather conditions Whale Coast Mall has had a few issues and areas that have suffered damage. We are going to remain operational to the best of our abilities, but would like to caution customers to be vigilant of their surroundings and to prioritise safety in these conditions.”

Communities urged to seek shelter

With conditions deteriorating, the Overstrand Municipality opened several community halls as emergency shelters for residents in need: Crassula Hall – Betty’s Bay; Masakhane Hall – Gansbaai; Zwelihle Community Hall – Hermanus. Residents were also warned to use water sparingly, as water treatment plants and sewage systems were expected to come under significant pressure during the storm. All hiking trails in Fernkloof, Rooiels and Kleinmond were closed. Schools in Overstrand and Theewaterskloof remained open.