The winter storms have begun

June 3 2013 at 07:54am By Alison Decker, Yolisa Tswanya and Natasha Bezuidenhout ________________________________________ Cape Town - Three people dead, 30 accidents, thousands left homeless, roofs blown off – this was the aftermath of a cold front that hit Cape Town on Saturday, bringing heavy rain, wind, hail and snow. On Sunday, the City of Cape Town’s Disaster Risk Management Centre said 547 shacks were damaged and 2,266 people were displaced by storms and flooding in Bishop Lavis, Hout Bay, and parts of Gugulethu, Strand and Khayelitsha. The roofs of homes in Kewtown, Elsies River, Langa, Matroosfontein, Parow and Parow Valley were blown off by gusting winds. At the Montana apartment block in Wynne Street in Parow, the roofs of at least six flats were blown off. A woman was injured and taken to hospital. Residents said a “tornado-like” wind had ripped the roofs off the building. Resident Ferancia Jacobs said she was standing at her window and watching the hail when she suddenly felt a vibration and then saw the roof of one of the apartment blocks being lifted up. “You only see these kind of things on television,” Jacobs said. Western Cape traffic head Kenny Africa said that since Friday, 30 accidents were reported in the province. A total of 17 car crashes were reported on Sunday, claiming the lives of two people in separate incidents. Meanwhile, mayor Patricia de Lille has called for “extraordinary emergency arrangements”. Disaster response teams were deployed to conduct assessments determining the extent of the damage caused by flooding. The city also issued a release warning the Western and Northern Capes of “glacial conditions” and requesting that farmers take the necessary precautions to protect livestock and crops. Snow fell on the western highground of the Western Cape, and the southern highground of the Northern Cape over Saturday night, extending throughout the day on Sunday. Small stock farmers were urged by the city to give heed to the special weather advisories, as sudden cold conditions could adversely affect livestock through stress. The city recommended that farmers listen to weather advisories and do their best to keep shelters dry. The South African Weather Service said the after-effects of the storms would be evident in the sea conditions, which would be very rough up until Tuesday morning. Wave heights are likely to rise between 6 and 9 metres between Alexander Bay and Cape Agulhas today. In Khayelitsha, residents created makeshift bridges from tyres and wooden planks to negotiate the floodwater. Michael Swartbooi, who lives in Mandla Crescent, said that each year the road leading to his home is flooded. “Cars can’t drive through here when it’s flooded and the drains don’t work. “I have been living here for 15 years and as soon as the heavy rains arrive my house is flooded.” In RR section residents walk around in gumboots and use plastic bags to shield their bodies from the rain. Another resident, Patrick Zembe, said he did not vote to live in such conditions. “It floods every year and we have to live like this. Politicians say they will make a plan, but they don’t.” Babalwa Wambi uses buckets to remove water from her flooded home. “We have to remove water with buckets every winter and we will have to do it throughout the night.” Joyce Sigodi and her family of more than 10 people didn’t know where they would be sleeping last night. Rain has damaged food, clothing and furniture in their two-bedroom dwelling. “We have nowhere else to sleep. We can’t do anything. Our food was also destroyed so we can’t cook. “The children’s school clothes were also wet. “We can’t actually sleep here tonight, but we have nowhere else to go.” Residents wade through knee-deep water to reach their homes, while others had vacated their properties because roofs were leaking and water seeped underneath doors. Subelwa Londa said it was only the third day of winter rains yet it was already flooding. “Winter will be difficult for us. Children can’t play outside or stay indoors.”