“We were sleeping. We didn’t even hear the wind; it was just a two-second rumble, and the next minute the roof was gone.” So, explains Fahgmie Moerat after the roof of his Schotsche Kloof flat in District Six was blown off during the storm last week.
When People’s Post visited Moerat and his wife Shaamiela on Wednesday 27 September they were standing on the balcony waiting for an insurance assessor to come and view the damages caused to their once cozy two-bedroom home.
Last week, thousands of people around Cape Town were affected when unprecedented rains battered the province.
The Overberg region received 142,6 mm at the Overberg new weather station between Sunday 24 and Tuesday 26 September.
Stellenbosch measured 194,2 mm over the same period, and Molteno in Cape Town recorded 141,8 mm, according to data supplied by the South African Weather Services.
Moerat said he was still in disbelief. “It was in the early hours of Sunday morning (24 September). It happened so fast. We were lying in bed; the next minute you could see the sky. We jumped up confused, not knowing what to do. I called the security company, police and law enforcement.
“Two hours later, I phoned disaster management, they gave me the fire department’s control room number. They came out about 15 minutes later to assess and said there is nothing they can do because the wind is too strong, there is nothing they can do.”
Shaamiela said they immediately started mopping the floor to prevent as much damage to their furniture.
“We mopped the floors until our family came and helped us mop up,” she explains.
The ceilings of their entire house were damaged as the rain seeped through.
Moerat lambasted the City’s disaster management department and said they did not assist.
“Our roof is open and our family and friends risked their lives to get up onto the roof and put on the covering for us because otherwise it would’ve still been open.
“I am very upset that nobody came. Officials from disaster risk management were here late afternoon and told us they could not do anything because it was privately owned. I feel that it is a disaster so why are you not helping me because I own the property? It shouldn’t be that way. We are paying rates to the City every month.”
Shaamiela praised the community for their support.
“The community was great. Our family and friends were amazing with their support. They brought us food, buckets, black bags. Our place isn’t big but so many people came here.”
She says they are relieved that no injuries were reported.
“We are grateful that nobody got injured. The asbestos fell onto the grass, but it didn’t touch the cars. It could have been worse and for that we are grateful.
We are not living with my uncle and my daughter is living with my cousin. I had to book our three cats into a veterinary clinic.
Rukshana Champion, chair of Schotse Kloof Body Corporate who maintains the block of flats, said about eight units were affected, leaving 40 people displaced.
“The assessor came out on Thursday 28 September to assess the damages. Various professionals have been appointed. They are looking at doing it in two phases, the roof first and then the damage within the unit second. We don’t have a total cost of the damage or a time frame on when it will be completed. We are assisting the affected families with alternative accommodation.”
Champion said anyone who wants to donate to the families can email skbodycorp@gmail.com
According to the City, about 21 011 people and 6 906 structures were affected by the storm.
In Woodstock, several trees were uprooted. Kloof Road between Clifton and Kloof Nek remains temporarily closed due to uprooted trees.
Premier Alan Winde lauded disaster management teams that are working with law enforcement agencies and NGOs to assist communities. “I am very proud of all our disaster officials. I also want to thank the farmers who have been helping our disaster units. The Provincial Disaster Management Centre was well prepared for the inclement weather through its early warning system. The extent of the damage is immense, and it will take time for us to recover,” he added.
Anton Bredell, Western Cape Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, said the total cost of damage has not yet been determined.
“Although it is still too early to calculate the cost of this storm if viewed in the context of the June floods, and the recent coastal damages due to storm surges, this is becoming a very expensive winter for the Western Cape.”
