THOUSANDS of Amatole District residents have very little to cheer about this Christmas, as a devastating wind and hailstorm swept through most of the Amatole region this past Monday.
The storm left a trail of destruction and devastation from Fort Beaufort right up to Dimbaza and Qonce.
The gusting wind started just around 14h30 and was followed by torrential rain and hailstones, some as large as cricket balls.
The howling wind and rain in the form of a massive cloudburst sent many a resident running for shelter.
Vehicle owners watched helplessly from under shop verandahs as their vehicles were being pelted by gigantic hailstones.
The windscreens of countless vehicles were shattered to pieces.
“My daughter, who will be in Grade 12 next year, was so terrified that she begged me to hide under the bed,” Roseline Plaatjies told Komani-Karoo Express. Her family miraculously escaped injury when a massive gumtree was uprooted and fell on their house, which sustained extensive structural damage.
Several business premises were under water and countless trees were uprooted by the intensity of the wind.
The roof of the hostel section of Winterberg Agricultural High School was blown off.
Fortunately the learners had already vacated the premises for the December holidays.
In surrounding villages and residential areas, roof sheeting littered the streets and power lines were lying on the ground. The branches of trees were practically minced by the large hailstones. A large gumtree was uprooted in Campbell Street and practically folded a steel container, used as a spaza shop, in half.
By late Tuesday afternoon, power to most sections of the town had not yet been restored. At the time of going to press, the ADM was still assessing the damage and promised that disaster management teams would be deployed to all affected areas.
Municipal workers were already on clean-up duty on Tuesday morning.
