Hailstorm hits Klerksdorp
2009-10-01 08:53
Johannesburg - Klerksdorp has for the second time this year been hit by powerful thunderstorms, causing millions of rands of damage.
Roofs were ripped off houses in less than an hour, homes flooded and gardens devastated by a violent hailstorm late on Tuesday afternoon.
Large parts of the city looked like they were under snow, as hail lay up to 20cm deep in places.
Some of the northern suburbs were without power for a while and the N12 highway was temporarily closed after branches and hail covered the road.
The worst damage was in La Hoff, Doringkruin, Wilkoppies, Flamwood, the city centre, extension 10 of Jouberton (near Klerksdorp) and extension 8 of Kanana (near Orkney).
Hospitals flooded
"Three hospitals - the Klerksdorp provincial hospital, the Tshepong hospital in Jouberton and the Sunningdale hospital in Wilkoppies - sustained water damage but patients were not removed," said provincial police spokesperson, Superintendent Lesego Metsi.
He said no one was injured or killed in the storm.
"The rain wasn't as bad as the hail," said Tommy Deysel of the Matlosana municipality's department for disaster management.
"People were inconvenienced, but it was definitely not a disaster. We are continuously monitoring the situation."
"People should report damages to their ward council member or ward committee members and I will afterwards submit a complete report to the municipality."
Trail of devastation
Beeld followed the trail of devastation caused by the storm. At Autorama, a used car dealer, the roof collapsed and two cars were slightly damaged. Mr Price and Mr Price Home near the Pick n Pay Hypermarket sustained serious water damage, but were open for business as usual.
At some shops in the Wilkoppies area, notices were stuck up in windows to inform customers that shops were closed due to storm damage.
Klerksdorp and surrounding areas were hit hard by storms in January. Parts of the Kosh area (Klerksdorp, Orkney, Stilfontein and Hartbeesfontein) where then declared disaster areas.