Hailstorm leaves trail of destruction
Innocent Selatlhwa | Monday October 24, 2016 16:52
Though the showers were not that heavy, the strong winds left a trail of destruction. Several houses were left without roofs, many flooded, people stuck inside their houses with flooded yards and vehicles unable to drive in flooded and blocked roads from fallen trees.
Around Gaborone, a number of offices and households in Old Naledi, Bontleng, central Gaborone and Block 9, Block 5 and some parts of Block 3 amongst other areas were left roofless, and furniture swimming in pools of water. Several car dealerships including Motor Centre and Capital Motors had their showroom glasses broken. In other areas, trees were uprooted and many fell on the road blocking access.
In Tlokweng, the traffic got stuck as the main road and several other roads were flooded, in some sections, cars unable to move at all. A lot of households were affected, as the drainage system of the village is already poor. Electricity was also disrupted.
According to assistant district commissioner for Tlokweng Richard Boitshwarelo, the drainage system was affected by blockages caused by tree branches and other items carried in the water. “The sub-council has been unblocking ways for the water. In the morning around 7am only big vehicles could move. A lot of people were stuck in their houses, but the situation is getting better,” he said Friday afternoon.
Boitshwarelo said the rainwater mostly coming from South Africa overwhelmed their already poor drainage master system. He said they were no fatalities recorded. “When we have a situation like this, the first thing we do is assess the damage and evacuate those who need to be taken to safety. We are still getting reports of damages and cannot conclude how much damage was made,” he said.
National Disaster Management Office spokesman Tebogo Modiakgotla said they were monitoring the situation. “We have been working with disaster committees in affected areas, so far we have not reconciled all the information about damages and what people will need, we however have not recorded any life loss or injuries relating to the incidents,” he said.