Powerful winds damage about 50 structures in Mitchells Plain - IOL
Tafelsig residents woke to scenes of destruction on Tuesday morning after powerful winds ripped roofs from homes, leaving about 50 structures affected in and around Maanskynkop Street.
The scenes brought back memories of the Manenberg tornado of 1999, with residents questioning whether Tafelsig had been hit by a tornado.
But the City of Cape Town says it is too early to say whether a tornado swept through the Mitchells Plain community.
Emergency services received the first reports of damage at about 4.35am.
Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson Jermaine Carelse said crews from Mitchells Plain and Bellville were dispatched, together with an Incident Management Team Type 5.
“Upon arrival, crews found that several houses had sustained damage, with roofs having been blown off,” Carelse said.
“At this stage, it is estimated that approximately 50 structures in and around Maanskynkop Street have been affected.”
One woman was treated at the scene for shock but declined transportation to hospital.
As images and reports of the damage began circulating on social media, Capetonians recalled the tornado that tore through Manenberg in 1999.
“Reminds me of Manenberg tornado 1999,” Trevor Trev-Africa wrote in response to a Facebook post about Tuesday morning’s incident.
Kakez Rahnia Simons recalled being a young child when that tornado struck.
“My family and I were in that tornado. I was about four years old when the tornado struck Manenberg. I still stay in Manenberg,” she wrote.
Another commenter, Fiona Barry, described the sound of Tuesday morning’s weather, saying: “I was awake at that time; thunder sounded so hard, like a bomb went off.”
The City has confirmed reports of high-velocity winds in Mitchells Plain, while its Disaster Risk Management Centre said it could not yet confirm whether the incident was the result of a tornado.
Assessments were continuing on Tuesday morning to determine the extent of the damage, with emergency personnel remaining on scene.
