Lydenburg hit by supercell storm

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) issued a weather warning on weekend of severe thunderstorms in parts
of Mpumalanga.

The warning included heavy downpours, strong winds, hail and localised flooding. However, nothing could prepare the town for the damage the storm would leave.

SAWS forecaster Wayne Venter, explained that a supercell storm is the most powerful storm there is.

“These supercells have the potential to create large hailstones and tornadoes, so even though the Lydenburg storm just produced hail, it could also have produced a tornado.”

He said while supercell storms are not unheard of in South Africa, they are not a frequent occurrence and Lydenburg had not experienced a storm of that magnitude in recent years.

He added that the Lydenburg storm was the only one to be classified as a supercell in Mpumalanga on November 14.  He added that severe storms were usually experienced in October and November, as well as March and early April.

“The hailstones the storm produced were between five and seven centimetres in size, so basically the size of a tennis ball,” said Venter.

PG Glass Lydenburg’s Gavin Scott said staff have been working non-stop since the storm ended, with thousands of customers coming in throughout the week for replacement of car windscreens, windows of houses, businesses, schools and churches, and repairs to fiberglass roofing and solar panels.

“We are getting about 15 cars in a day. We ordered 70 windscreens in a single day just to try keep up with the volumes. We worked until 21:00 on Tuesday night and started as early as 06:00 on Wednesday morning to try keep up. Things have been so busy. We are also looking at now working over Saturdays and Sundays to meet the workload,” he said.

Soli-Deo-Gloria Care Centre Lydenburg said Sunday’s storm was “absolutely devastating” with damages of over
R250 000.

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“I don’t even know where to start. Everything was affected,” said the centre’s Gerda Venter.  The centre is a non-profit-organisation.

“We do not have insurance, so we are trying as best we can to repair the damage caused by the hail. We have no running water or electricity, as the storm damaged our water pipes and the solar panels. There are holes in the roof, so when it rains now, everything gets wet. It is an absolute disaster,” said Venter.

She said the centre can house up to 110 persons but it had to turn people away in recent days due to the extensive damage.

To find out more about the centre and how to help it, contact Gerda Venter on 072 402 6595 or email it on solideo.gloriasorg@gmail.com. You can also reach it via its Facebook page: Soli-Deo-Gloria Care Centre Lydenburg.

Adding to the carnage were the loss of birds and other wildlife.

Founder and CEO of Wild and Free Rehabilitation based in Hectorspruit, Deidré Joubert, said it had received over 30 birds, including a nest of seven swifts, several owls and some kingfishers, following the storm.

She said some of the animals brought in died due to their injuries as well as the stress and trauma of the storm.

She said they even had spotted genets and a jackal pup brought in due to injuries from the hail and wind.  “We had lots of animals coming in after the storm and expect a busy weekend as there is more stormy weather predicted for this weekend,” she said.

She said people can visit its Facebook page: Wild and Free Wildlife Rehabilitation, for tips on how to handle and keep an injured or shocked animal until you can get it professional help.

According to Themba Sibiya, spokesperson for Thaba Chweu Local Mpumalanga, the hailstorm caused extensive damage to roofs, and windows in Lydenburg and Mashishing.

“Lydenburg Hospital and a local primary school were also not spared from the destruction. A total of 279 cases were reported to TCLM’s Disaster Management Centre, most of them damaged roofs. By Tuesday November 16, TCLM was able to assist 189 households with disaster relief materials such as tents, mattrasses, gas stoves and blankets.

“TCLM has also approached the Ehlanzeni District Municipality and the Mpumalanga Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs for support.

“Affected residents are urged to contact the Disaster Management Centre on 013 235 1788 for assistance,” said Sibiya.

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