CAPE TOWN, South Africa: Nearly 1,000 homes in Cape Town’s informal settlements have been destroyed by gale-force winds, displacing approximately 4,000 people.
The city is bracing for a week of severe storms, with South African weather authorities warning of multiple cold fronts expected to bring heavy rain, strong winds, and flooding until at least Friday.
Cape Town’s disaster coordination team has been on high alert since last Thursday, when the first cold front arrived.
The most affected areas are the impoverished informal settlements on the outskirts of South Africa’s second-largest city. Khayelitsha township has been particularly hard-hit, with thousands displaced as strong winds demolished homes and other structures. Over the course of the weekend, 10,000 meals and 3,000 blankets were distributed to those in need by the local relief organization Gift of the Givers.
The severe weather has also caused flooding and power outages in over 30 suburbs, according to the City of Cape Town.
Authorities are closely monitoring dam levels to prevent overflow and are considering controlled water releases as more heavy rain is expected.
Cape Town, frequently hit by cold fronts from the Atlantic Ocean during its winter months, faces significant challenges in protecting its most vulnerable residents from such extreme weather events.
