The storm that hit the city late Saturday afternoon had disastrous consequences for some of the city’s residents. Mr Meyer Odendaal who lives in Miller Street was one of them. He was on a weekend away when he received a call from the tenant who lives in the garden flat on his property.
On Tuesday, he described the tenant’s voice to Nelspruit Post,” She sounded very scared. I could feel that something was wrong. She told me that there was a storm in the city,” he started.
The tenant reported that the roof of the flat in Odendaal’s yard had been blown off by strong winds.
The flat’s roof ended up on top of the main house where it remained stuck. To top it off, the flat’s ceiling caved in and the property’s power tripped.
According to Odendaal, the flat is only five metres from the main house. Yesterday, the flat’s roof was still lying where the stormy wind had flung it.
Odendaal decided not to clear up the damage. “I cannot touch anything because I am waiting for the insurance assessor to come and assess the damage,” he said. “I haven’t even checked my house’s roof yet,” said Odendaal.
Although no formal assessment has been done, Odendaal estimates that he may have suffered around R90 000 in damages.
According to Odendaal, the wooden furniture in the house sustained water damage and will have to be replaced.
There were incidents of fallen trees across the city as a result of the storm, but the local municipality could not confirm these.
The lightning that came with the storm also set Bundu Lodge between Mbombela and White River alight.
On Thursday, a minor tornado hit in Belfast, causing chaos and fear among residents.
