Cape Town’s recent storm has left thousands without power, damaged infrastructure across the metro and impacted more than 83 000 residents.
Last week, the South African Weather Service issued Orange Level 8 warnings ahead of two powerful cold fronts forecast to hit the Western Cape.
Between Sunday and Tuesday, the storm system battered the province with disruptive rainfall, damaging winds and rough seas.
Thousands of Cape Town residents were affected, with many displaced as Disaster Risk Management teams continue recovery and mop-up operations across the metro.
“Humanitarian relief efforts are ongoing in communities affected by the adverse weather conditions in recent days,” said Charlotte Powell, Disaster Risk Management spokesperson.
According to reports, five people lost their lives during the extreme weather event in Cape Town.
Western Cape Disaster Management said most of the fatalities were caused by people attempting to cross rivers and by falling trees.
New figures released by the City show that the Southern Suburbs and surrounding areas recorded the highest number of electricity-related service requests in the wake of the storm.
As of the latest update, City teams were dealing with around 4 800 outstanding electricity requests linked to storm damage and outages.
Storm damage by the numbers
The South region – which includes areas such as Wynberg, Muizenberg, Gugulethu and Mitchells Plain – recorded the highest number of logged service requests.
Electricity faults logged by area:
| Area | Logged requests |
|---|---|
| South (Mitchells Plain, Wynberg, Gugulethu, Muizenberg) | 2 496 |
| East (Helderberg, Oostenberg, Bloemhof, Parow) | 1 200 |
| North (Vanguard, Mowbray, City, Atlantis) | 1 130 |
The City said teams are prioritising dangerous situations, including fallen power lines and exposed infrastructure.
“All City electricity teams and contractors have been working around the clock responding to widespread electricity outages,” said Xanthea Limberg, Cape Town’s Mayco Member for Energy.
The City has also suspended planned maintenance work to focus entirely on storm-related repairs.
However, officials warned that restoration delays are likely due to ongoing strong winds and safety risks.
Humanitarian response continues after storm
Separate figures released by Disaster Risk Management show the wider human impact of the storm.
“The latest totals from completed assessments indicate that 83 184 persons living in 21 546 dwellings have been impacted,” Powell noted.
Relief efforts are currently underway in at least 11 communities, including Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, Philippi East, Lwandle and Mfuleni.
NGOs such as Gift of the Givers, Ashraful Aid, Islamic Relief and Mustadafin have been providing meals and blankets.
The City has also opened nine fire stations as donation drop-off points for food, blankets, nappies and hygiene supplies.
“While the worst of the adverse conditions are behind us, the recovery efforts will continue for several days or more,” Powell added.
Residents have also been urged not to log duplicate electricity complaints, as this can slow response times during the ongoing recovery operation.
Electricity services and damage: (only log on one channel):
Call Centre: 0860 103 089
SMS: 31220 (Free SMS service doesn’t apply)
WhatsApp: 060 018 1505
