Area north of Okahandja lashed by fierce storm
Residents recount unprecedented storm chaos
A short-lived but ferocious storm wreaked havoc north of Okahandja over the weekend, leaving destruction in its wake.
A severe storm struck north of Okahandja on Saturday afternoon at approximately 18:45, causing widespread destruction.Odette van der Westhuizen described an intense lightning display as the humidity increased noticeably just before the storm. Heavy rain began to fall and the wind intensified rapidly.
“It sounded like a train, and you couldn’t see anything – it was completely white as the rain fell horizontally. I thought my house would be blown away. The outdoor chairs flew through the air and crashed against my bedroom window,” she recounted.
The wind blew violently for ten to fifteen minutes before it suddenly calmed completely within a few minutes, and the sun reappeared, she said.
On her farm, where vegetables are cultivated, many tunnels and greenhouses were destroyed. Both Van der Westhuizen and her farm manager, who had taken shelter in the pump house until the wind tore the door off, prayed through the short-lived but powerful storm.
Power poles were knocked down, along with numerous trees in the veld, she said.
Fortunately, no one was injured.
Costly damages
Jan Conradie from Agricon Mushroom Farm said the storm passed almost directly over their property and caused considerable damage. “It was quite rough,” he said.
Six greenhouses were damaged and the winds tore roofs from cultivation tunnels, each costing N$10 000 to replace, excluding installation costs.
Corrugated iron roofs were also blown off, but fortunately, no one was injured, he added.
Armand Steyn from Armae described the weather as something he had never experienced before. “We stood and watched as the rain approached from the east. It came with an indescribably strong wind, even blowing away all my rain gauges except one that was partially hidden under branches and collected over 50 mm of rain. So, the actual rainfall was definitely more than that," he said.
"It lasted for about half an hour and then suddenly, the wind stopped and everything was dead quiet. Then the wind came again, this time from the western direction. One flat’s roof was ripped out of the cement and stone and flung metres away. Large thorn trees were uprooted. We had several guests here, but thankfully, no one was injured,” he said.
Storm anticipated
Meanwhile, Cenored spokesperson Chali Matengu confirmed that 13 power poles were damaged during the storm. The electricity distributor is working diligently to replace the poles and restore power, he said.
However, ongoing rain has repeatedly interrupted the efforts, Matengu said Monday afternoon. Despite these challenges, six poles had been replaced by 15:00 yesterday, though 40% of affected farms in the northern area were still without electricity. Power was expected to be fully restored by 21:00 last night.
“The Okahandja team has already replaced six poles, but work had to stop due to ongoing rain in the area, which makes it challenging to continue during downpours,” he said.
“Power was restored to the backbone of the northern plots yesterday (Sunday), but 40% of the northern plots remain without power as the Okahandja team is currently replacing the remaining poles,” he added.
Richard Nashikaku from the weather office confirmed that the storm had been anticipated, with forecasts predicting significant rainfall exceeding 50 mm. Heavy rain was also expected over the weekend in the central northern areas and the Otjozondjupa region, he added.