Disaster management teams assess damage after gale-force winds
THE City has assessed the damage caused by last week’s gale-force winds and deployed its disaster management teams to various wards for physical assessments and to provide necessary temporary disaster relief measures.
A report tabled before the executive committee (Exco) meeting this week stated that because of the number of incidents reported and limited resources, priority would be given to households with major impact, including roofs being blown off and houses collapsing, partially or fully.
The assessment process was still under way and residents were encouraged to continue to report to ward councillors.
“There was a total of 1 920 houses reported with structural damage. Assessments on some are still to be conducted.”
Two families sharing a compound in umlazi V-section, ward 76, were affected when their structure collapsed.
A total of 20 people, including six who were disabled, were left traumatised. The families were left with no shelter and were in desperate need of temporary accommodation.
The report also listed injuries and fatalities, some of which were still to be confirmed.
The detailed report provided an up-to-date disaster management assessment findings with 100 households assessed where 321 people were affected.
One incident related to a 71-year-old umbumbulu resident who was hit by a tree branch while collecting firewood on September 16 and reportedly died on the same day. Other major incidents were reported in umlazi, Newlands East, Ntuzuma and Durban Central, among others.