The City of Tshwane Emergency Services Department is calling on communities to remain alert during the severe thunderstorms, following a Yellow Level 4 warning issued for Monday, 21 October 2024 for severe thunderstorms over most parts of Gauteng, including the City of Tshwane.
The warning was first issued by the South African Weather Service on Saturday, 19 October 2024 as a Yellow Level 2, and has since been updgraded to a Yellow Level 4, on 21 October 2024. Yet, another Yellow Level 2 warning has been issued for Tuesday, 22 October 2024, as the inclement weather continues to prevail.
The City of Tshwane Emergency Services Department responded to a building collapse incident on the evening of Sunday, 20 October 2024, at about 17:00, where it was reported that a house had been damaged by the storm in Soshanguve Extension 10.
The Emergency Communication Centre (ECC) immediately dispatched firefighting units from Rosslyn Fire Station and Mabopane Fire Station to the scene. These included a ladder, a fire engine, a foam tender and a district commander’s unit.
Upon arrival firefighters found that the house had been badly damaged by the severe thunderstorm which was accompanied by a strong wind.
They also found out that several more houses had been affected by the storm, and called for the Tshwane Emergency Disaster Risk Management teams to assess and determine any further damage, and the impact of the storm thereof.
After the assessment the Tshwane Disaster Risk Management officers, working together with the Gauteng Provincial Disaster Management Centre, determined that in Soshanguve Extension 10, about fifty-four (54) people from seventeen (17) households were affected, and in Extension 19, about forty-one (41) people from ten (10) hosueholds were affected by the storm.
In the Soshanguve Changing Spot Informal Settlement, about 200 shacks and 800 people were affected.
The damage ranged from minor, in most houses (where only windows or roof tiles where broken), to severe where half the roof of the one house had collapsed due to the storm.
Three occupants of this house sustained minor to severe injuries and were treated and transported by the Gauteng Provincial Government Emergency Medical Services to the Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital.
The City of Tshwane Emergency Services Department worked hard to provide assistance and relief to the people by supplying them with salvage sheets to cover the open holes on the roofs and the walls.
Firefighters helped three houses owned by the elderly, by covering the roofs with the salvage sheets. Nonprofit organizations were also on the ground, assisting the affected communities with some relief items.
The storm also caused some damage to the infrastructure, such as powerlines and transformers. The Emergency Communication Centre dispatched a fire engine from Jabulani Fire Station to Soshanguve Block PP2, at about midnight, on Sunday 20 October 2024, to attend to a transformer on fire.
Upon arrival firefighters found an electricity pole on fire and notified the Tshwane Energy and Electricity Department to isolate the power.
The impact of severe thunderstorms may include the following:
• Localised flooding of susceptible low-lying areas, informal settlements and susceptible roads.
• Minor to major vehicle accidents due to poor driving visibility and slippery road conditions.
• Localised service disruptions due to power failures.
We call on communities to observe the following safety measures:
• If possible, stay indoors and away from metal objects.
• Do not seek shelter under trees or tall objects.
• Avoid crossing flooded low-lying roads, bridges and swollen streams.
• Be aware that any combination of hail, strong winds, heavy rain and/or excessive lightning can accompany storms.
Residents are encouraged to monitor the warnings and alerts issued by the South African Weather Service and other credible sources, and to immediately follow the recommended safety tips.
We further call on residents to be vigilant and to immediately report any fire or rescue incident on 107 toll-free or alternatively calling 012 358 6300/6400.