Strong winds ripped into structures in Tafelsig, taking the roofs of several of the homes in the area off in the early hours of yesterday morning.
The winds were part of a brief flash storm that occurred from about 03:00 to mid-morning over some parts of the City yesterday (Tuesday 22 September).
Residents called the storm a tornado, but in a video on social media JP Smith, Mayco member for Safety and Security, said: “Around 3am a weather phenomenon moved through here. We don’t know if the South African Weather Service is going to classify it as a tornado or hurricane. It did significant damage.”
He said the City’s Disaster Risk Management department had assessed at least 50 structures in the area had been damaged.
Smith said the weather service was likely to classify the storm as “an extreme wind event or otherwise”.
“But that doesn’t change anything about what the damages are.”
Residents likened the wind during the storm to a tornado and claimed Maanskynkop was the worst-affected, but according to Smith properties closest to the ocean were.
He said most of the affected homes were also not insured and residents were dependent on relief resources.
Smith appealed for donations of metal sheeting to help the affected families, adding that more storms were expected over the next few days.
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