Atteridgeville residents salvage belongings after heavy rains cause flooding

Some Atteridgeville residents in Pretoria were salvaging what they could on Monday after their homes were badly damaged by a severe hailstorm.

On Sunday, the South African Weather Service (SAWS) issued a Level 4 warning for thunderstorms in parts of the country.

The capital was hardest hit in Gauteng, with residents in areas including Danville, Montana, and Wonderboom reporting serious damage to property, due to flooding.

In Atteridgeville, residents from four different households on Nqolase Street are tag-teaming, cleaning up the mess caused by the harsh weather.

The concrete walls that once separated their homes have completely collapsed.
Some of them have hung out their clothes, mattresses, and other belongings out to dry.

Refilwe Mautjana said the hailstorm started around midnight and ended in the early morning (Monday).

“There was water everywhere, even inside the house it was flooded, the bed, the furniture.”

She said they are yet to assess the cost of the damage from the rain.