IN PICS | Western Cape residents battle floods, flying roofs and growing food shortages

The devastating storm sweeping across the Western Cape has left communities stranded, homes destroyed and critical services disrupted, forcing the closure of all schools in the province on Tuesday as authorities race to respond to the growing humanitarian crisis.

From Cape Town’s flooded informal settlements to isolated communities in the Karoo, residents described terrifying scenes of roofs being ripped off homes, roads washed away and food supplies running dangerously low.

In Franschhoek, early childhood development centre owner Zizipho Ndita said she woke up at 6am on Monday to prepare breakfast for children at her centre, only for strong winds to tear off the roof while children were arriving.

“It was such a scary moment because two children had already arrived. The electricity went off, and I had no choice but to call other parents and tell them not to bring their children,” she said.

The severe weather prompted Western Cape Education MEC David Maynier to announce the closure of all public ordinary and special schools across the province.

Meanwhile, residents in some communities said they were effectively trapped, with damaged roads and fallen trees cutting off access to food and essential supplies.

Nthabiseng Koetle said several houses in her area had collapsed.

“It’s really bad. One of my colleagues’ houses has collapsed. Zinc sheets are flying around, and that has affected electricity. We are scared to go outside,” she said.

“I managed to buy bread on Saturday, but I don’t know what is going to happen when it is finished. Shops are running out of basic food because there is no way in or out of this area. The roads are damaged, and trees have fallen across roads.”

Humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers said similar conditions were unfolding in Baviaanskloof in the Karoo, where floodwaters have isolated families and made rescue operations extremely difficult.

Gift of the Givers spokesperson Mario Ferreira said several people, including a pregnant woman, were stranded without access to food or medical care.

“We need to do a medical evacuation of a pregnant woman. Roads have been washed away due to flooding. There is no network coverage and communication is extremely difficult,” he said.

Ferreira said desperate residents had walked for kilometres trying to flag down rescue teams on roadsides.

We have taken food to some residents using horses, and in certain places we had to use ropes to get food across to people.

—  Mario Ferreira, Gift of the Givers spokesperson

“Their shops are out of food. Another storm has just hit the area, taking down trees and blocking roads again. We are using helicopters to move around. The biggest challenge is getting to the people,” he said.

“We have taken food to some residents using horses, and in certain places we had to use ropes to get food across to people.”

Gift of the Givers teams are currently stationed in Willowmore while assessing ways to deliver aid to families spread across 31 districts in Baviaanskloof.

The storm has also placed major pressure on the province’s healthcare system.

The Western Cape department of health and wellness said most healthcare services remained operational despite widespread disruptions caused mainly by power outages and infrastructure damage.

“We are experiencing service delays at our healthcare facilities and request patience and understanding from communities accessing care, as our teams are working under challenging conditions while ensuring services remain operational,” the department said.

Clinics in the Breede Valley area and parts of the Cape Winelands were closed after patients had been treated to ensure the safety of staff and patients.

Hospitals and clinics in the Overberg, West Coast, Cape Metro, Garden Route and Central Karoo are operating under contingency arrangements, including the use of generators and patient transfers.

At Caledon Hospital, emergency and paediatric patients are being transferred to Hermanus Hospital with support from Emergency Medical Services after storm damage affected infrastructure.

Mitchells Plain Hospital has also been affected by a power outage, with specialist patients being diverted to Khayelitsha District Hospital until electricity is restored.

The department added that mobile healthcare outreach services in high-risk areas had been suspended due to unsafe travel conditions and would resume once the weather improves.